Dragon Age Origins: Dovahkiin
by Arch-Daishou00
Summary: (M) 'Mature story' "Sea-bound to foreign shores, the Dragonborn and her kin embark to a new land on orders from the emperor. Their mission; To explore and study these foreign nations. But no quest is ever simple for a Doom Driven hero"
1. A new journey begins

**Disclaimer** : We do not own The Elder Scroll Series or the Dragon Age Series.

 _ **"Well it has been a long while has it not? And for anyone wondering this is the Original Arch-Daishou. Long story short, my old computer went to hell, and so did my old profile on here. Now with a new computer and my badass friend Etheral-23 we bring you Dragon age: Dovahkiin once again. However, after some discussions we decided to rewrite the entire story. To something much more balanced and fun.**_

 _ **Now if anyone wants to know. Yes my old profile is still up and you can read old story.**_

 _ **Glad to be back! Hope you all enjoy Dragon Age Origins: Dovahkiin"**_

 _ **Elder Scrolls belongs to Bethesda**_

 _ **Dragon Age belongs to Bioware**_

 _ **Co-author and Beta**_ : Etheral-23

 **A new journey begins**

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Cyrodiil was known by many names. The Starry Heart of Nirn, the Seat of the Sundered Kings, the Dragon Empire, and the Heartland of Tamriel.

Ever since ages past, Cyrodiil had been the center of power in Tamriel, though factions changed and the balance of power changed with them, Cyrodiil had always been in the middle of it. Every major war, every great power struggle, the central nation of Tamriel often played a very important role in the shaping of history.

The history of Cyrodiil was the history of the empire. The great empires of Tamriel and Cyrodiil were often one and the same, reaching from the beating heart of the continent to the rest of the nations, influencing, conquering, unifying.

And in the center of Cyrodiil, the heart of the heartland was the great Ruby Throne over which wars had been waged for. The coveted throne of ancients kings, of Saint Alessia, Reman the Cyrodiil, Tiber Septim, Titus Mede the First.

It was here that those who sat upon Ruby Throne ruled from; The Imperial City.

The Beating Heart of the Empire, the great metropolis once built by the long gone Ayleids as the Temple of the Ancestors with the construction of the massive White-Gold Tower, conquered from the elves Alessia took the City and turned it into the center of a great empire. Ever since, whoever controlled the City would dictate the fate of all great empires that would come after.

The great city was also known as the Jewel of the Empire, and even then to call it such failed to make justice to its magnificence. It was the largest city in the entire continent, a bustling metropolis, a mixing pot of cultures from all races in Tamriel. Divided into various districts, spires and structures of gleaming white marble, and with a population that numbered in the millions, the Imperial City almost seemed like a nation on its own.

"This place just takes your breath away doesn't it? As if you're walking right into history itself. The tower is just as magnificent as it was when I saw it as a little girl."

"My old village was on the outskirts of Cheydinhal. We all had an exceptional view. You couldn't describe the sight neither in the morning and evening, it always looked magnificent."

Walking through the bustling market district two women converse casually while making their way to the Palace district. Even as the day was coming to the close, the market was as busy as though it was the start of the morning. While the markets of Whiterun or Solitude had their own charm respectively, neither could fully measure up to the Imperial City.

But for the Dragonborn Miara Redoran and her longtime lover Serana Volkihar, Skyrim was enough for them both.

Not to say neither didn't enjoying visiting Cyrodiil, this particular visit however was at the request of the Emperor Nihlus Crassus. And as a general in the Legion, Miara couldn't refuse the invitation.

The Dunmer huffed, "Having dinner with two old friends shouldn't involve dressing up." Her groaning came due in part of she had to wear a dunmeri two piece dress.

"It kind of does when said friends are the Emperor and Empress of Tamriel," Serana rolled her eyes wearing her usual attire with her hood up.

"It's just that dressing fancy isn't my thing, you know?"

The vampire gave her a dry look. "That's what you dunmer call fancy?" Her tone couldn't be wittier if she tried, at least that's what Miara told herself, and in truth she knew full well Serana had the capacity to be far more sarcastic.

What the vampire was referring to was a dark dress typically found in dunmer high society. Dark leather with a strategically placed opening in the middle of the chest, making sure to reveal a touch of her bosom to make for an enticing look. On her arms was long leather bracers with multiple belt-like straps, and covering her long shapely legs was a velvety dark red skirt. Dunmer attires drew the eye of other races for their bold styles, the dunmeri folk as a whole had a certain... attitude that was quite daring to the average person unfamiliar with their culture.

Miara herself was a woman of great beauty, luscious long black locks that fell upon and below her shoulders; the angular bone structure found among elven kind was perfectly refined upon her features, while her red eyes were like two precious rubies. She carried herself with an air of confidence and superiority, not arrogance nor haughtiness, merely a simple fact that this woman had an aura of royalty and power.

She reflected said confidence and allure with a smirk towards her lover; "I seem to remember you never complained whenever I wore something... daring for you" There may have been one or two pieces of lingerie that had been ruined in her attempts to entice Serana. It had worked too well, as the vampire merely tore them off her in a fit of lust.

"Well you said it yourself, that's when the show is for me" Serana replied.

Miara chuckled as she held Serana's arm with her own. "In all the years I've known you I didn't take you for the jealous type. Otherwise you have taken exception whenever we invited someone else to our bed"

"Any Khajiit male that peaks your fancy is all yours, but you know very well those other treats are as much for me as they are for you" The vampire coyly replied.

The dunmer giggled once more and leaned her head upon the nord's shoulder as they continued walking, arms linked. "So selfish"

"Oh I'm selfish?" Serana said with mirth in her voice. "I'm not the one who hoards all the sweets to herself"

"I completed my quests, I do my job, and I refrain from killing random people who annoy me. I think I earnt those sweets"

"Normal people don't consider not killing random people as something to be rewarded..."

"Well, I'm not normal"

The Nordic vampire sighed; "Won't argue on that." Her glowing orange eyes gaze around the busy market; "Weren't the kids supposed to join us by now?"

"Sarya's is still having a talk at the Arcane University. While Sofie and Oryrn are handling that bounty for some bandits outside the city."

"The emperor asks for us and they naturally take their time…"

A snort came from the Dragonborn; "Think we can agree Sarya goes by her own sense of time. No worries, they'll be at the dinner."

* * *

 **XxX ~ the arcane university ~ XxX**

* * *

The Imperial City's Mages' Guild, the center of all magical knowledge and learning in Cyrodiil. It was a joyous moment to all mages when the University doors reopened its gates thirty years ago. Ever since then, mages from every corner of Tamriel had flocked to the university to study and hone their craft.

Currently at one of the outdoor classes a young Dunmer woman dressed in dark velvet Telvanni robes spoke at the podium. Sitting in front of her were at least a dozen mages, varying from apprentices to masters. All of them were taking extensive notes as the young lady spoke with wisdom beyond her years.

The mage bore a resemblance to Miara; her dark locks were pulled on a ponytail while two bangs framed her face. While young, she possessed an air of wisdom couple with the energy of her age. Sarya Redoran spoke with the knowledge of sages, knowing her craft far better than most mages did in their entire lifetimes.

"Once you've locked in the proper coordinates, the next stage is to create a portal to slip by the dimensional gap. I do not need to tell you that interplanetary portals are more difficult to master than portals created in the same dimension, so be minded that whenever making an opening to Oblivion can risk on a denizen from its infinite realms to slip through. Which is a big ' _no-no_ ' on our field"

"Ah, Miss Redoran" A young apprentice raised his hand. "How do we select a realm in which to travel to? How do we know we have the coordinates?"

"Excellent question. You need to familiarize with the realm you want to travel to; scrying to multiple realms through the summoning arts is a good way to do so as to catch a glimpse of the Oblivion realm of your desire. I also recommend you avoid doing any kind of deals with those realms' lords in exchange for the way to travel there, more often than not it ends with your soul being ripped out of your body" The dunmer explained.

"And if you accidentally end up somewhere you did not mean to?"

The young mage thought about it for a second; "I will most certainly get out of any complications that arises. But if it happens to you, then you will most likely die"

A young Breton mage leaned to an Altmer beside him and whispered; "She doesn't beat around the bush does she?"

"Her honesty will save your life. Trust me, I have been to a few of her sessions and she knows what she's talking about."

* * *

 **XxX ~ outside the Imperial city ~ XxX**

* * *

A Khajiit in hard leather gear wielding a war axe roared his charging is stopped by the slamming of a hard ebony shield held by a tall dunmer man in full ebony armor and helmet. Oryrn Redoran stood firm, slashing down the bandit with his ebony sword.

"You're not even true warriors," Oryrn's voice being deep and mellow. Not even bothering to look down as he stabbed the Khajiit bandit through the heart.

"HAH! These bastards aren't even worth being called bandits, brother!" A strong feminine Nordic accented voice spoke.

Sofie Redoran, first child of Miara through adoption, though to her family she was their own flesh and blood, no questions asked. The young orphan the Dragonborn had picked from the snowy streets of Windhelm had grown up to be a fierce warrior, the epitome of everything the nords valued. Courageous, honorable, brave, a terror to her enemies and a true companion to her friends.

Long gone was the young meek flower girl, now stood a tall mighty warrior. Long braided hair and a mature yet youthful face, eyes that brimmed with excitement and joy at the prospect of a battle. Her body honed into a perfect killing machine, large muscles befitting a nordic warrior woman without sacrificing a drop of femininity, donning plates of rune carved steel, a chest plate lined underneath with fur, gauntlets and greaves of the finest Skyforge steel, and traditional nordic ring adornments around her sizeable biceps. Resting upon her shoulder was a long steel greatsword as her right hand grasped the handle while her left hand rested upon her waist. Her confident smirk showed no fear in the face of these lesser foes.

A bandit charged at her, shouting like a maniac in hopes of instilling fear upon her. Sofie merely found the attempt amusing, swatting away at his blade with her gauntlet and then quickly grasping him by the throat. In a feat of unnatural strength, she lifted the bandit until his feet were no longer touching the ground. He kicked and gasped, clawing at her hand to release him but to no avail.

A tightening of her grasp and a shake of her arm, followed by a sickening 'crunch' and the bandit's movement fell loose, like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

"A shame" Sofie said in disappointed. "I was hoping for a bit more fun"

Seeing as the rest of bandits had retreated to their base, which was an Ayleid ruin, Oryrn took off his helmet. His long raven colored locks in a ponytail much like his twin sister, with a well-trimmed beard and mustache.

His stern ruby eyes glared towards the ruins ahead; "The rest are likely in there. Their leader as well."

"Can you honestly take someone seriously if they call themselves 'Big-sword Red'?" Sofie scoffed, standing beside her brother. "I have heard better titles in Skyrim and Solstheim."

"All we can do is get rid of these fools, make the area safe."

"And get all their loot."

Oryrn rolled his eyes while his elder sister chuckled.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

At the entrance to the White-Gold Tower, a young Imperial wearing refined clothing distinguishing himself as an attendant paced. Two Legion guards dryly observed the man as he mumbled; "You'd think someone of her station would know the meaning of being on time."

The guards said nothing but shook their heads.

"You keep pacing Aurelius you're going to leave an indent," Miara's voice made the Imperial stop and turn seeing the Elven general and Nord lover smirking at him. "Hello."

"Ah! Lady Redoran, Lady Volkihar!" The man did a curtsy while the guards saluted at the general. "It is just so delightful to have you with us once again. You arrive... fashionably late, my ladies"

"Had to the do a couple of stops" The dunmer offhandedly replies. "I saw a couple of stands in the market that struck my fancy. Some nice pieces of jewelry"

"A dragon got distracted by shiny things, you know how it is" Serana clarified, much to Miara's annoyance.

"Yes, quite. I heard the stories as a child" The butler said, clearly impatient. "Your imperial majesties have been waiting for your arrival. If you'd be so kind to follow me I'll take you to them"

The imperial guards saluted as the three entered into the tower. Much like the tower's exterior, the interior was a grand sight. The hallway littered with paintings, statues, even a few well-crafted chairs and tables.

The butler had took noticed of a few people being absent; "Lady Redoran, where is your family?"

"My children will be here, they wouldn't miss a dinner with Nihlus and Keya."

Aurelius made a soft throaty noise of disapproval due to the Elven general being too informal about calling the rulers of Tamriel so casually, but he held his tongue. The three went up a flight of stairs to the second floor which looked as grand as the first.

"Glad the tower was able to be fully repaired," Serana said absently; "Between the first and second Great War. I thought it would never get finished."

They were guided through the hallways until they reached a great wooden door guarded by two of the Praetorian Guard. The most elite soldiers in the empire, handpicked to be the empire's finest soldiers, usually placed to serve as the imperial family's very own personal guard. After the Penitus Oculatus' failure - _Miara coughed awkwardly_ -, and when Nihlus ascended to the throne one of the first thing he made sure of was that he and his family would be well protected under the watchful eye of the most experienced soldiers he could find.

The Praetorian Guard was given the best equipment and the best training. They were clad in an ebony forged version of the Imperial Armor; the black metal was decorated with golden accents in stylish patterns. Armed with imperial gladius swords and tower shields, all of which was enchanted to offer better protection and deal devastating damage. To be a Praetorian was the ambition of many soldiers within the Legion.

These two Praetorians were an argonian and a dunmer, a fact that made Miara smile subtly. To her it didn't feel that long ago when thing were... complicated with those two races. To say their history was troubled was a massive understatement. The dunmer's enslavement of the argonians, the argonians' invasion of Morrowind in retaliation when the dark elves were weakened. It had taken the tireless efforts of highly skilled diplomats and many other individuals to even come close at securing a ceasefire between the two peoples. The common threat that the Dominion posed certainly helped the matters in stopping the conflict between them at least.

Now, thirty years after the Second Great War with the Dominion, things were... better. Miara could not call them perfect, one didn't forget thousands of years of slavery and mutual violence so easily, but the nations were now in a much better situation than they used to be centuries ago. The new empire had proven to itself to be a unifying force, showing others how much it benefited them to abandon old grudges for the sake of a prosperous future.

It made Miara thankful that all that blood spilled hadn't been for nothing. And for once the future seemed bright.

"Our imperial majesties are waiting for you in the study behind these doors" Aurelius informed before addressing the praetorian. "They are guests"

The praetorian merely nodded stoically and moved away from the door so they would pass.

Now, calling the room inside a 'study' would be an oversimplification. The room was practically a small library/living room with two floors. All the shelves were filled with thousands of books. The room was also well furnished with chairs, tables, and couches made from the finest materials. Along with paintings and statues from across all of Tamriel.

The study was well-lit by a dozen magical lamps. Miara could not help but whistle; "This place still looks breathtaking."

"Took some effort to look just right," A feminine voice spoke from the second floor. Dressed in regal dark blue and red dress. The empress of Tamriel, Keya greets her longtime friends. "Welcome Miara and Serana"

Though short in stature given her Bosmer lineage, the four hundred year old elven woman held a presence few could. Her skin a light brown with a touch of green like most wood elves. Her wavy auburn hair going just below her shoulders, as her green eyes danced in the lamp light.

"You look well," Miara grinned, "Where's Nihlus?"

"Can't let your emperor have his grand entrance?" a strong male voice chuckled at the opposite side of the study.

Descending down the flight of stairs that lead to the second floor they came upon the leader of the empire. Dressed in a mixture of traditional Colovian robes with other garments found in central and west Cyrodiil, namely a white robe or 'toga' as the colovians would call it, over a long sleeved shirt decorated with golden outlines, along with wolf furs draped around his shoulders, as well as dark loose pants tucked into a pair of boots. His hair was cut short, and he had a closely shaved beard, his features started showing some signs of aging as he approached his middle years.

Nihlus Crassus was a Breton born into a long lineage of colovian warriors with a great history of service to the empire, having been raised to follow the colovian martial mentality of discipline, duty, honor and loyalty. During the Mede Dynasty he distinguished himself early in his career and rose to the rank of general at a relatively young age. He had met Keya during his career, she herself a long veteran who had served in the Legion since the days of the Septim Dynasty until its end, and then the new empire founded by Titus Mede the First.

Miara could honestly say there were few people as dedicated and loyal to what the empire stood for as Nihlus. He was a man that believed in unity, strength. That it was the many parts of the different cultures and ideologies that made the empire great. With the fall of the Mede Dynasty and the Second Great War looming threateningly on the horizon, Nihlus gathered much support from his fellow countrymen in Colovia, along with many others in the empire, through his great orator skills rallying many to stand against the Dominion. He spoke with conviction and showed himself to be quite charismatic, Miara saw he was a man worth trusting, so she had no trouble pledging her allegiance to him to help mend the then broken empire and survive the onslaught of the Dominion. Reuniting and reforging the great empire that once more encompassed all of Tamriel.

It came to no surprise to her when Nihlus was pretty much established as emperor by his allies once the war was over. Oh the look on his face had been priceless. But despite his doubts he had done an outstanding work, once again, the nine nations of Tamriel were under the dragon's banner.

Miara and Serana both bowed before hugging both rulers warmly; "Looking as magnificent as ever you two," the emperor smiled.

"And are fashionably late," Keya smirked.

Miara rolled her eyes while Serana waved it off; "Like you would ever truly complain. So what's so important you ask for me and the others?" The dunmer tilting her head in a curious manner.

"We shall discuss that at dinner," Nihlus said cryptically making both women eye him suspiciously. "Where are your kids?"

"Sarya's at a presentation at the university while Sofie and Oryrn are handling a bounty for the guards. How are your own?"

Keya smiled as they all left the study for the dining room on the opposite side of the hall; "Mathius and Alynia are well. They send their love." The Praetorian Guard following dutifully behind.

The walk was hardly long as Aurelius stood by the door opening it. The dining room itself was massive, having a large rectangular wooden table beautifully crafted with matching chairs. Standing by the table Miara and Serana both took noticed of someone apparently joining them for dinner. Someone who made the Dragonborn mildly groan.

Dressed in simple but finely made white and blue robes, towering above everyone like all Altmer, she had her long white hair in a ponytail even as two long thin locks fell from behind her ears and over her shoulders. Her youthful golden skin shined with the evening sun as the rays slipped through the windows.

Serana dryly glared at Keya; "Of course it wasn't social visit."

High Seer Arameris.

The dark elf turned to Aurelius; "Daedric lava whiskey if you have it. If not, Cyrodiilic Brandy, a lot of it."

Nihlus just rolled his eyes.

Serana merely took her seat at one end of the table while Miara waited for the alcohol to arrive. "Oh boy..." They had only met the altmer in passing but she had left an impression.

The title of High Seer wasn't just for show, it was a position created among the emperor's personal experts in magic, someone that would excel at the art of divination and fortune telling. But the young Altmer was more than that; she had been born with a powerful foresight, such that she was capable of predicting the future. Even if her visions were vague and heavily symbolic, Arameris' gift was too valuable.

The vampire understood her lover's annoyance at her presence, if the High Seer was present then that meant she had seen something. Something big enough for Nihlus to deem so important he required of the Dragonborn's presence.

A servant girl came with a tray of various types of drinks, ranging from brandy to the whiskey Miara specifically requested. "Okay, what is it this time?" The dunmer tiredly asked as she served herself a glass sitting beside Serana. "Uprising? Mad cultists? Natural catastrophe? An invasion? Evil god planning something? Goblins somehow multiplying so much they outnumber us a thousand to one?" It was sad that the last one wasn't outside the realm of possibilities. "Just get it over with..."

"A good evening to you, Born One of the Dusk" It was amazing that Arameris remained polite even in the face of Miara's tirade. "Perhaps it'd be best to wait for your children to join us. Speaking of" She directed her gaze to the empress. "My lady, please move two steps to your right"

"Um..." Sharing a confused look with her husband, the empress complied. "Alright"

The moment she did so, a portal of arcane light appeared where she used to be, and out of it stepped Sarya. "Woof, sorry I'm late. Lecture ended up lasting longer than I thought" Upon seeing the bewildered monarchs, she bowed. "Your majesties"

"How did you warp in here?" Nihlus slowly asked incredulously. "The whole Tower is warded to keep mages from teleporting inside"

"If you call this place 'warded'" Sarya shared her mother's attitude with the emperor, not bothering to keep her tone and words formal, and offhandedly grumbled at the word. "I spotted twelve places where I could teleport in safely. You should get your mages to get a look at them. But then again, I'm just so much better than any staff-waver here so it could just be me"

Upon seeing Arameris the young dunmer grunts before taking a seat by her parents. "Aurelius please open the door," the Altmer asked politely.

Doing as the Seer requested, Sofie and Oryrn were conversing outside the room with the guards; "Seriously the only danger from that bandit group was their aim," the Nordic woman snorted making the guards laugh.

Noticing the open door the praetorian quickly composed themselves as brother and sister walked in with two large bags. Both giving a bow to Nihlus and Keya; "Evening your majesties. Sorry for being late," Oryrn spoke.

The emperor waved it off; "You're fine. You both look well. How were those bandits?"

Sofie just laughed; "I faced vermin more dangerous!" then she noticed Arameris and groaned as she and Oryrn gave their bag of loot to Aurelius. "Mom where is the whiskey?"

"Here" Her mother said dispassionately. "Drink it before I finish it"

Serana sighed. This tirade was getting old. "Come on, aren't you all exaggerating?"

Miara turned her eyes to her with a scowl. "You don't seem to get it, do you Serana? Arameris has visions. Visions are predictions from the future. What do we call thing that involve predictions from the future?"

The vampire garner a guess; "Prophecies?"

"Exactly!" The dunmer exclaimed violently. "And when, in the entire time you know me, have prophecies involved anything even remotely good for us?"

Serana raised an eyebrow.

"...Except for us meeting that is"

"Nice save" Sarya muttered from her spot at the table.

"The point is" Miara carried on. "When dealing with stuff that involves any sort of vision, prediction or prophecy. It means a long, LONG quest that takes me from the ass end of nowhere to another ass end of nowhere. And I get wrapped up in aaaaaaaaaall the little problems that happen to come my way"

"Oh come on. Where is your famous sense of adventure?"

"I have my sense of adventure when the adventure in question is MY CHOICE" The dunmer emphasized the last two words by forcefully tapping her finger on the table. "When prophecy is involved, I can just feel there is an Elder Scroll poking me in the back and saying; _Do this. Do this. Do This. Do This. Do this or you all die_ "

Both rulers of Tamriel sighed before taking a seat, while Arameris remained unfazed by the elven general's words; "Yet you are curious, Dovahkiin." The young Altmer stated, "Curiosity is a powerful trait among dragons."

"So is impatience," Miara's fingers still taping the table before sighing; "What have you seen girl?"

The eyes of the seeress became lost, gazing into the nothingness of the air before her. Miara had seen this before, in seers and those who gazed to the unknown knowledge which regular mortals could not hope to grasp with their minds remaining intact. The altmer was recalling the vision she had seen, vague as it was.

"I saw... a land, to the far west, beyond the Sea of Pearls, beyond sunken Yokuda. A land unknown by Tamriel filled with its own people... and from that land darkness starts spreading, like an infected wound it sickens everything on its path. The land succumbs to it, and then... chaos. A chaos that warps the sky and bends it into the earth, the chaos spreads through the sea until it consumes it all... starry Tamriel, wild Akavir, frozen Atmora, none are spared..."

The room fell silent. The emperors, seated at the head of the table, stared solemnly at the altmer. Their expressions indicated this was not the first time they had heard the vision from her. Sarya held a hand to her mouth as her eyes quickly drifted from one place to another, her mind racing as she thought of the possible explanations behind this vision. Oryrn crossed his arms and closed his eyes, meditating upon the meaning of Arameris' words. Sofie had a worried expression on her face, already she had lived as a child through a possible apocalypse, and the seeress' prophetic words dug up some bad memories.

Serana and Miara remained much more composed than the others, though the edge in their eyes indicated they were not taking this matter lightly at all. Oh did they understand the weight behind prophecies like that, gods know they did...

"Well... that was cheery" The dunmer Dragonborn commented while taking another swig out of her cup.

"These lands have a name?" Serana lowers her hood.

"Thedas," the young Altmer spoke as her eyes returned to normal.

A throaty noise came from the Emperor; "I had a few men speak with several ship captains from trading vessels at the docks. Only two in Tamriel's history has been to these lands."

Miara downs her brandy; "But not of the land and its people." She guessed.

Keya leaned forward; "We need information, and more over what this threat actually is."

The family already put things together. Oryrn was the one to speak; "And you need us to be on this mission, your majesty?"

"We do" The emperor confirmed with a nod. "We don't know what those lands will hold, so I'll feel better if we have our best warrior on it" He said gesturing to Miara.

The dunmer nodded gracefully.

"...But since your father is constantly busy at Akavir, you will have to do" He soon added with a wry smile.

The dunmer's face quickly shifted to match her mood, her ears dropping a bit as her family laughed and chuckled at the joke at her expense, even her serious son Oryrn couldn't help but let a smile form on his lips. "Oh hah hah..."

Nihlus chuckled as he shook his head. "In all seriousness Miara, you are the ideal person for the job. Anything that comes your way I'm certain you can handle it" Warrior, rogue, mage, and the dunmer was all these things. She was someone who had plenty of experience at fighting many types of beings, be they mortal or immortal. Not to mention the various political schemes she had been wrapped in during her adventures, she knew how to maneuver and talk her way through trouble. Her Voice was mighty in more ways than one.

The dunmer sighed. "Let us have dinner first, I'll discuss this with my family later"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Per the request of the Emperor after their meal, Aurelius took the Redoran family to one of the larger guest rooms for the night. Miara only grunted as she sat at the room's round table, pouring a glass of brandy; "Nothing is ever simple. I should have learned that a century ago." The Dragonborn drank her alcohol down in one gulp.

Setting his ebony armor, sword and shield on the floor with Sofie's, now wearing a simple cotton shirt and leather pants, Oryrn soon sat in a chair. "Emperor Nihlus says we can view this as an exploration type of mission. That doesn't sound too bad."

"Oryrn when has anything simple ever happened when the both of us are involved?" Serana lifts her brow as she sat beside her lover.

"She got you there brother," Sarya smirked, lying on top of a bed with her hands behind her head. Sofie grunts as she sat beside her sister.

"I'd think it sounds fun either way," Miara's oldest shrugs with a smile; "I want to see what this Thedas has for adventures." She took a long swig of Daedric lava whiskey from the bottle in her hand.

The Templar rolled his eyes; "Honestly mother, aren't you exaggerating over all this?"

"Exaggerating? Hmmmm, nope. I'd say this is an appropriate reaction on my part" Miara says gloomily yet with a touch of glib dry wit. "Honey, every time we've gone on quests prompted by prophecies, they've been incredibly harrowing experiences that left wounds both physical and emotional for everyone involved" She emphasized her words by slamming her cup down on the table. "I've learnt that the hard way, nothing good ever comes of prophecies and I would very much like to never be involved with one of those ever again. Much less have you three tagging alone for a mess like that"

"I too have my own grudge against prophecies..." Serana muttered darkly. "Trust me; it's better to leave those alone"

The children of the Dragonborn shared an uneasy look.

"You're actually considering saying no to Nihlus?" Sofie questioned.

"...Not immediately" Miara admitted. "I'm... deliberating" The dunmer sighed. "Much as I don't like it, Nihlus would not have called for me unless it's important."

"Because he knows if there is anyone who can travel to another continent to explore it and maybe stop whatever evil our lady seer saw. It's you mother," Sofie said with resolution in her voice.

Serana only sighed, "Is it really that simple? We still don't know what this 'darkness' is. Never mind we know next to nothing of this continent."

Upon hearing that, Sarya lifted her head; "You never heard of it? Not even back then?" She asked gently.

"...No, I never recalled any book in the old study back home about such a place. Before my father went insane, he preferred the solitude of Skyrim at the castle. Same for my mother, even now" Valerica had restored the inside of the castle for herself and whenever Serana came to visit occasionally, but that didn't meant her mother liked to go out much now that she was no longer trapped in the Soul Cairn. "This Thedas is as new to me as it is you."

Miara poured more brandy into her cup; "It's a moot point if I decide we don't go"

"But you do want to go don't you?" Sofie smirked knowingly; "Put aside that prophecy. You want to see this continent none of us had ever heard of."

Serana felt her eye twitch, if there was one person who could sway Miara it was Sofie. From the time she was a little girl to even now as an adult.

"You want the adventure, the unknown!" The eldest said dramatically. "Plunder old tombs, and discover secrets. Hoard all sorts of treasures... Learn all sort of new armor and weapon schematics"

Oh no, she was pulling the blacksmithing card. Bad enough she had been appealing to the dunmer's wanderlust and love for treasure, blacksmithing reached deep into Miara's soul and pulled her strongest desires. The desire to make, to forge, to create something.

Serana had long since grown used to the dunmer's... multitude of habits. Chief among them her first profession, that of a blacksmithing of course. Miara had forged all sorts of armors with all sorts of materials, tried out various designs in all kinds of combinations to create new and varied armors. From the mighty heavy bulwark of plate that could turn a person into a walking fortress wall, to the lightest of armors to sneak like a shadow in the night.

Miara, simply put, loved forging. To present her with the idea of new designs she had never seen before?

The smile on that beautiful gray face told the vampire this battle was over. Miara had made up her mind.

"It's been a while since I learnt a new schematic"

Serana sighed. "We'll tell Nihlus in the morning"

This was gonna be a long trip…

"Yay!" Sarya cheered. "Adventure!"

* * *

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* * *

It was barely dawn as the waves rocked moderately against the large ship, part of the crew winced hearing once again the retching sound of Sarya Redoran heaving the contents out of her stomach from the side.

"Some people just have no sea legs," A tall Nordic man at the ship's wheel shook his head; "Never knew a Dunmer could look so green"

"You could almost pass for a Bosmer little sister," Sofie chirped rather brightly, leaning against the ship's mast with her arms crossed in front of her. Sarya only glared back at her older sister who made a wavy motion with her hands which made the young dunmer pale before puking once again. "Two months onboard the Red Griffon courtesy of Captain Rag-Nar and you've been throwing up since we got out to sea. My, those are poor sea manners of yours"

Helping some of the crew, Oryrn rolled his eyes as he moved some large wooden crates. "Think she's had enough Sofie."

"Had enough my ass, she's always gloated to us being the greatest mage in all of Tamriel. Never mind her occasional pranks she pulled on us when we were kids and even now. This is divine justice and I'm going to watch with a smile on my face."

Miara, dressed in a loose cotton shirt and leather pants tucked into boots, heckled as she leaned on the wooden railing in front of the wheel. At her side, Serana just tugged her hood to better block some of the sun's rays from touching her face, while her pureblood vampirism stopped that accursed glorified torch bug in the sky from reducing her to ash, it was still 'very' uncomfortable for her to be under it.

Throughout the ship the marines were hard at work, from cleaning the deck to securing making sure the various ropes and sails were in good condition. The vessel was manned by marines from the Imperial Navy, carrying with her a few squads from Miara's own Legion. Men, mer, and a few beastfolk even, argonians mostly as their kind were superb for sailing and naval warfare for obvious reasons.

Their ship, the Red Griffon, had sailed two months ago from Tamriel's shore towards their destination. The enigmatic continent of Thedas to explore at their emperor's orders. The travelers could only ponder at what they would find once they reached those foreign shores. Perhaps all manner of bizarre races and cultures, they prayed it was not filled with brutal and warlike peoples like their longtime rivals the Akavirs. The empire was doing well for it these last few decades, the last thing they needed was savage conquerors surrounding them on both sides of the world.

"Land ho!" Their spotter at the top of the mast from the crow's nest shouted.

Everyone's spirits rose up at the sound of those words, the words they had been waiting to hear ever since they set sail.

Miara eagerly ran up to the ship's bow, leaning forward as to take a good look.

There, on the horizon, she saw patches of brown. Land at last.

The new world they had been sent to explore.

"Well… Let's see what you have in store for us"

* * *

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* * *

 **See ya next time!**

 **For those who wish to know, Miara's figure is basically Selma Hayek with the height of Uma Thurman with the face of Jennifer Lopez and her hair.**

 **For Sarya, Halley Barry.**


	2. Welcome to Denerim

**Disclaimer:** We do not own Dragon Age or Elder Scrolls Series

 **Co-Author and Beta** : Etheral-23

 **Welcome to Denerim**

* * *

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* * *

Towards the landmass of the 'new world' as it were, they had spotted buildings, a port in a large city, which meant these lands were inhabited. To some, this would be an exciting moment, the chance to meet and discover previously unknown cultures. To others, it brought all sorts of troubles as they knew nothing about the people who might live here, for all they knew they could have laws, customs, values that were not acceptable to the people of Tamriel, things that could easily create friction and conflict between them.

For Miara Redoran, it was both. She felt both thrilled at this new adventure but proceeded carefully and with a healthy amount of suspicion and preparations in case the worst came to pass.

Their ship had stopped a good distance away, close enough to still get a somewhat decent view of the port but not close enough to worry the inhabitants. They had hoisted a white flag, hoping its meaning was universal enough that the natives would not consider their intentions to be hostile.

She had sent to scouts on a boat, a pair of imperials who could make good use of their famed Cyrodiilic negotiating skills to secure safe harbor, and find out what kind of people lived in this city.

"Look at the size of that tower," A Pahmar-raht crew member uttered in amazement. His awe was shared among others who stood beside him. "Almost rivals the white tower back home!" It was the first object seen by the crew member at the Crow's nest showing land was close.

The Dovahkiin had to agree as she absently peered towards it but she kept focus.

That had been nearly an hour ago, between the time it had took them to row to the port and speak with the local harbormaster it should be expected, but the crew was still on edge. The sailors stood ready to act at the moment Miara issued a command. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Serana staring stoically at the foreign lands. Oryrn kept a calm posture with his arms folded while Sofie paced slightly over the deck. Sarya for her part looked very bored; her chin rested on her palm as she drummed her fingers against the railing in a rhythm.

Miara let out a soft breath, hoping it would all march well in the end. This was a monumental occasion, first contact with another civilization had not been done on ages, and regrettably, more often than not it ended in bloodshed.

She spotted the boat making it back with the two imperials, they were alive that was good. The men climbed up to the deck while the sailors hoisted up the boat and secured it once more to their ship.

"Report" The dunmer general ordered.

"Population is human, ma'am" One of the imperials, Marus, a man on his forties with long sideburns spoke.

Of course they were human, she really shouldn't be surprised, humans were everywhere on this planet apparently.

"Surprisingly we had no difficulty regarding language barrier" The other imperial, Adam, of nibenese descent with a lighter skin tone, added. "This land we're currently in is a nation called 'Ferelden'. Language here seems to be the same as the common tongue back in Tamriel"

Miara's red eyes widened mildly in surprise; "Truly? That's… odd"

Either it was a coincidence of astronomic proportions or it was just the gods once more influencing things for the development of mortal kind. Zenithar, as the god of commerce, of which language fell under his sphere, would most likely be the one responsible for it.

"We've explained our intentions of the harbormaster and presented ourselves as explorers" Marus continued. "They agreed to let us dock and trade for supplies, they'll accept our gold. But our presence, will most like be reported to the authorities. No doubt they'll want to inspect our ship, ask us questions personally even. They don't seem particularly trusting of foreigners that come from nowhere."

"I don't blame them" Miara said with shrug, "I wouldn't either"

"There is… more ma'am" Adam looked hesitant to speak about whatever he had in mind. "There are elves here as well"

"Oh?" Well, if there were humans in other parts of the world, it was also likely there were elves along with them. Their kinds were fated to meet one way or another.

"Short and lithe as bosmer" Marus took over. "But their skin tones range to that of humans"

"Interesting…" Miara heard Sarya muse to herself in thought.

"Hmm" The general hummed in thought as she took a good look of the crew; there were nearly one of each type of elf from Tamriel in their crew. "Our presence will draw a lot of attention."

"It's not the only thing we discovered ma'am" Adam cut in. "We asked about the types of races in these lands upon seeing the elves. Other than a race of horned people in the north, there is nothing in this continent that resembles a beastfolk; indeed, I imagine the very concept is alien to them"

Miara could feel the gazes of the beastfolk of their crew. If their elves would draw attention, then it was most likely the Khajiit and argonian would cause a panic…

"We can hind under the deck, ma'am" An argonian officer spoke; it seemed the others shared his sentiment if the nods and mumbles of agreement were any clue. "A first contact is delicate enough; the natives might become frightened and aggressive at our presence"

"I thank you" Miara nodded; "Hmph, this mission looked much simpler on paper"

"It always does" Serana smirked at her.

"Oh! Another thing ma'am" Marus quickly remembered. "Another race also lives in these lands, dwarves"

"Dwarves?!" Sarya couldn't stop her astonishment, a sentiment that was shared by the crew as they exchanged words of shock and amazement. "The dwemer are here?!"

"Oh no actually, t-they're not what we call 'dwarves'" Marus clarified as he held up his hands, keeping one flat to the ground around his abdomen's height. "They're actually short human-like people who live underground for the most part… so uh, I guess not unlike the dwemer then. But still, um, not elves"

The crew fell silent after that.

"…This place is strange" Sofie droned.

Miara glanced back over to the harbor before looking to the crew, "Alright people." Her authoritarian tone made the crew stand a bit straighter; "Marus."

"Yes, general."

"What is the name of this city?"

"Denerim ma'am, this is where their seat of royalty governs the nation."

Serana snorts; "Well we got lucky to make first contact at their capital."

Miara shifts her gaze to the captain; "Make port captain, kids, Serana come on." The dragonborn joined by her kin and lover made their way to the door to go below deck; "Everyone gear up and take what you need. If you need anything-"

"We all can summon Butler if we need anything. We will be fine mother," Sarya interrupted, walking beside Oryrn with Sofie behind them as they went down the wooden steps.

"Summon him discreetly," Serana stressed the last word walking at her lover's side. "We don't know how these people would react to summoning a Daedra."

* * *

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* * *

They descended down below deck, and went over their respective rooms where their chests were located, which in turn held their belongings, namely their gear and began to put it on. Oryrn's ebony armor was decorated with golden accents engraved on various sections of the set, a crimson half-cape wrapped around his waist; he pulled out his longsword from its sheath, inspecting the state. A few testing swings let him know it was perfectly balance, and he could find no error, no sign of rust or anything like that in the weapon. As always, his mother's craftsmanship was peerless.

Sarya did not so much put on her robes as she 'casted them' on her. She snapped her fingers and her casual clothing switched places with her telvanni robes. Dark red velvet, enchanted to her liking, and tightly adjusted to show off her (in Sarya's humble opinion) most divine figure. She hummed happily as she adjusted the long pieces of scarf-like fabric around her neck. Her robe was decorated with arcane sigils of great design and detail. Testing her various enchanted pieces of jewelry, she found her gear to be in optimal state. And why wouldn't it be, she had enchanted it herself. The mage was very eager to learn all about the magic of this land.

Sofie rolled her shoulders, making the metal clink as it moved. She had missed wearing her armor all these months at sea, oh that had been such a boring trip. Not even a sea monster to help pass the time. But alas, the gods had finally been merciful and delivered them to their destination. The tall muscled nord smirked as she strapped her gauntlets on her arms, she was quite eager to see what kind of monsters and foes she'd face here.

Miara donned an armor of her own design, a dark leather cloak wrapped around the waist with multiple belts, the end of her pants were covered by metallic greaves, over the sleeves she had armored herself with gauntlet and fingers guarded in metallic plates, small round shoulder plates, along with a chest plate with the front of a dragon's head carved on it that covered her front, leaving her back armor-less but in turn compensated with greater mobility, which suited her fighting style perfectly.

"Lucky me I just need my gauntlets," Serana smirked, putting on claw-like ebony gauntlets with gold accents much like Oryrn's. While her clothes looked the same, there were marked differences as Miara had handmade her a completely new outfit with the finest materials she had. While the original cape was short, this new one went down to her ankles and could be wrapped around her entire figure.

"Between the ancestor silk and void cloth, that should be the most comfortable pair of clothes on Nirn," Miara snorts as she sheathed Dawnbreaker (Much to her lover's relief) and Dragonbane to her belt.

"Better than my old clothes you found me in when we first met," The finishing touch to Serana's attire was a voidsteel dagger she attached to her belt. "What next?"

"Once the ship docks we leave before the inspection." A simple illusion spell would do the trick to leave the pier and head into Denerim quietly and unnoticed.

"They'll notice you, Oryrn, and Sarya."

Turning around Serana saw Miara's skin began to turn to the same tone as Sofie's as her eyes also soon matched. "That should do. What do you think?"

A hum came from her lover who tilted her head; "Hmm, you're always beautiful no matter how you look."

That earned a wink from the dark elf as the door of their room opened, and saw both Oryrn and Sarya had changed their appearance as well; "I look weird," the Telvanni mage muttered, gazing at her reflection in a hand-mirror. Her twin simply rolled his eyes. Both had gone their mother's route of having Sofie's skin tone and eyes.

Speaking of the said young Nord woman, she paused as she neared her family; "Well that's different."

"Now, some ground rules" Miara said in that authoritarian mother's tone she's honed through the decades. "We proceed carefully, don't do magic in the open, we don't know these people's attitude towards it. We might be breaking a law for all we know, and I'm not spending money to get you out of jail"

"Mother of the year" Sarya droned.

"It helps you learn the consequences of your action. Remember when you set that racist nord's coat on fire?"

"You said you were proud of me..."

"Would have been prouder if you had been more discreet about it honey" She wiggled her fingers at them. "No stealing... Unless the person deserves it"

"That's more a rule for you than us though" Oryrn drawled.

"We're here on exploring, but we don't need to draw more attention than necessary. Be honest about our intentions if you want, but only if doesn't compromise our work. Also, let's try to avoid making enemies in this 'Ferelden', we're representing the empire, our actions will be reflections of Nihlus' own intentions. Are we clear?" She noticed her children along with Serana dryly stare at her; "What?"

"Out of all us, you have the worst temper and impulsiveness," Sofie drawled, earning a twitching glare from her mother.

"At any rate," Miara let out an explosive sigh; "Let's go."

* * *

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* * *

As the Red Griffon docked to Denerim's harbor with ropes securing the ship to the pier. The gangplank was secured in place as the human crew members and captain greeted the harbormaster. None were the wiser as Miara and her family used a simple charm spell masking their presence as they quietly disembarked from the ship, leaving the port without fuss.

It wasn't long before they entered the market district. Sofie whistled at the sheer size of it with shops of every kind. From buildings to an enormous tent at the Market's center with all kinds of small vendors selling all manners of items. Sarya and Miara blinked at the dwarfs that Marus mentioned also having shops and vendor stalls up. Oryrn kept his gaze on the enormous tower that eclipsed all other structures in the city.

"That is sooo weird," Sarya stared at two Dwarves passing by them.

With her hood up, Serana took in their surroundings; "Reminds me of those markets in Elsweyr we had visited once." She turns her head back to Miara; "What's next?"

"We cover more ground if we split up," Oryrn spoke up with his helmet off. "Look around the city."

"Right," his mother nodded; "Learn about what you can. Buy books if you find any."

Sofie's eyes looked at the vendor stalls under the tent; "A map of this place would help too. We meet back up in two hours?"

Nodding in agreement, the family split off.

* * *

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* * *

Ahhh this was what she was waiting for all that time stuck, sea-sick in that accursed ship. Sarya was sure her patience was now to be rewarded as standing before her was one of the sights she loved most in the world. Books, rows and rows of books. All of them containing knowledge, stories, information on these foreign land she found herself in.

And with so many books with so many to choose from, she'd be busy for months!

This shop's name was very fitting, 'Wonders of Thedas' indeed... She guessed Thedas was the name of the continent. Her brow furrowed in thought, was that the slight touch of magic in the air? Ohhhh this place sold magical items, even better!

But first things first, she needed to get something that would help them guide themselves through this unknown terrain. Maps and travel guides. No doubt the crew of the Red Griffon was most likely procuring their own if they planned on traversing through the coast of this new continent.

She approached the clerk who stood behind a counter that was filled with various pieces of parchments, books and the like, along with a very large ledger in front of the man, who happened to be a bald dark skinned human. Hmm, he had an interesting sun tattoo on his forehead, she couldn't fashion the meaning behind it as she still lacked any knowledge on this land and its culture.

"Good morning my good sir" Sarya greeted him with the largest smile.

"Good morning my lady"

The dunmer in disguise stopped in her tracks.

His voice was bereft of any emotion. His eyes were blank and unresponsive. And his face was set in stone.

Oblivion, what was wrong with him?

"Are... you okay?" Sarya tilted her head, worry laced in her voice.

"I am fine my lady. Is there anything you need?" The clerk's voice was toneless, emotionless, devoid of any and all feeling. "Is this your first time meeting a Tranquil?"

Tranquil?

"...Yes it is." The young Telvanni mage felt seriously unnerved by the lack of any sort of emotion coming from the clerk. But steeled herself by remembering why she was here; "M-may look at your library?"

The man gave a nod; "The library is open to visitors."

Sarya thanked the clerk as she warily walked away. Everything about that man felt so... wrong. Maybe the books explained what a 'Tranquil' was. Though her gut was telling her she wouldn't like it.

* * *

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* * *

Miara crossed gates and as soon as she saw what laid beyond made the Dragonborn's blood boil, she had to bite down a growl from her throat. Makeshift homes, and poorly built houses crowed together tightly. Rundown, dilapidated and poor, those were the words that described the district. She saw people dressed in clothing that were not exactly of good quality, even by commoner standards, some could barely be called rags. But what made her rage spike further was who the residents of this area of Denerim were.

Elves... It was the damn Grey Quarter all over again, but worse.

This district of the city was surrounded by walls, and by the amount of people living here she could see the elves were confined to a very tight place. The living conditions were just deplorable, and she doubted any guard rotation would pass through here.

Was this how it was for the elves of this continent, or was this city the exception? Gods she hoped that was the latter. It was a saddening sight, to see humans treats the elves like this, just like it would be if some stuck up elves decided humans were beneath them and treated them accordingly. A certain group of piss-skinned bastards came to mind.

Sometimes it seemed like an inescapable fate, a whisper of hatred passed down from their Ehlnofey progenitors. Men against elves, elves against men. It was always the same... That had been something she and many others had arduously fought to change as the empire was reforged and the Thalmor scum had been culled from Tamriel. The dunmer liked to believe they were achieving progress, but only time would tell.

These elves though... She could only guess what had happened to them, and Miara was not sure she'd like the answers.

As she strode to the center of the district, where the massive tree rested, Miara payed no mind to the stares directed at her. As she was taller than the elves here, not to mention she was armed and geared in equipment no other elf here could possibly afford. Miara choose to focus on the tree, placing a hand upon it she could feel there was something... spiritual about this tree. That it was of some importance or significance to the elves of the these lands. The tree's trunk was painted with various markings, offerings and candles were laid before it.

Miara was someone in tuned with the spiritual, so she could feel the 'emotions' of this tree as it were. Though emotions were a poor term, as the concept itself was difficult to explain. She felt what this tree embodied, as the people in this place were reverent of it, the tree 'spoke' with melancholy of loss, suffering. Yet encouraged its people to endure, and to remember.

Remember their home.

Miara sighed as that was all she could feel from the tree. The elves here had been wronged, of that she was certain now.

"Well, I don't think I've seen you here before" An elderly wise and caring voice spoke. Miara turned to see an older elf (well, older in terms of looks for someone like her) walking towards her, his hair was gray and his face with lined with wrinkles, he was dressed in far better clothes than other elves here, most likely this elf held greater wealth and/or status. He chuckled as he saw her up close; "My, you're... tall for one of our kind. And you look far more better off than most. Are you a mercenary?"

"...Of sorts," Miara responded quietly. "Though I'm afraid I am not from your lands. I am Miara Redoran"

"Elder Valendrian, we rarely get many if at all any foreigners come to the alienage. Are you from Rivain, Orlais?" The old elf asked in purest curiosity, a sentiment visible among the other elves that looked upon her.

"Tamriel" that got a round of odd looks from her distant cousins, the elder included. Not surprised she doubted anybody even knew of her lands here. "I came here with my family. They are looking around Denerim right now."

"Did your work your way out from your alienage in your Tamriel?" A young elven woman who looked to be in her twenties, wearing a simple form-fitting dress with braided red hair spoke up. She was quite cute looking, the hidden Dunmer mentally mused.

Miara turned her gaze to the young woman; "There are no alienages in Tamriel" Shock, disbelief, suspicion were the varying expressions from every elf listening.

Well, that had been the wrong thing to say, for Miara at least. As every nearby elf who had listened began swarming her like she was some rare sight, and began prodding her with endless questions.

"Is it true?!"

"You are not forced to live in alienages?"

"Do elves there have their own kingdom?!"

Oh boy. Well this was not the first time someone like this had happened to the dunmer in disguise. The attention of the crowd, the questions, and the way they would look at her with awe. She had lived through it many times in Skyrim as the Dragonborn, with nords singing her praises and asking every question related to dragons. How big they are, what kinds there are, how many she's killed. The current situation was eerily similar, only the subject was different. She could see it in the eyes of the elves here, they wanted to know that their kind was better off in some far away land, that there was a better life than this one.

She had lead armies, Shouted foes as great as giants, and battled gods. Yet Miara still found herself overwhelmed when faced with an excitable crowd. There were so many questions she could scarcely focus on one and answer it.

"Uh, well, you see..."

Thankfully, the elder Valendrian came to her aid. "People, people..! Please leave her some room to breathe!"

Miara gave a grateful nod to the elder, "Well, I can say there are several races of Elves in Tamriel. With our own lands and kingdoms" That got everyone's full and complete attention. Feeling a tug on her leg, she looked down seeing several Elven children looking up at her.

"Can you tell us please?" a little boy asked with the adults also wanting to know.

The Dragonborn just smiled; "Of course little one."

* * *

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* * *

Gnawed Noble Tavern... At least in Sofie's opinion that name was far better than the Retching Netch. Although she was not sure if the wooden sign for the tavern was a dog or dragon gnawing on a person's head above the door. Shrugging the Nordic woman went in.

Now as far as the taverns Sofie had been to as an adventurer and when she was a child with her mother, this place was rather homey. Reminded her a little of the Winking Skeever, but much better furnishings and a larger bar. Not that she would say that out loud back home with old Corpulus at earshot. This place was clearly favored by those from well to do families, or nobles if the tavern's name was to believed.

A young woman, who was clearly the waitress was taking orders at a table, had noticed a newcomer entered the building. Finishing on the order from the patrons she turned around, only to stop and look up. And up...

Sofie put on a friendly smile. "Hi there"

The young woman looked at the towering woman who was a perfect blend of a feminine figure and powerful muscles with bewilderment; she was obviously unfamiliar with the concept of women being so tall. She had seen adventurers and mercenaries, men and women alike, and indeed many were powerfully built individuals. But before this mountain of a warrior they paled in comparison.

Her mouth trembled a bit as she managed to speak; "H-Hello my lady" She cleared her throat. "How can I serve you?"

"Well, you can start by telling me if you've got mead" The nord chuckled. "And if there is quest's board I can look at"

"O-Of course" She pointed at the bar. "We keep requests there" She folded hands in front of her skirt. "You can buy from him directly unless you want a table"

"I'm good, will just talk to him then" Sofie winked at the pretty blonde waitress. "Thanks hun" She smirked when she heard her giggle a bit shyly. Yep, she still got it.

Taverns were a good place to gather information on the current topics in nearly every society. In places where alcohol was served and people looked to relax, taverns were the locales on where tongues loosened and patrons unloaded their problems on the bartender who would listen, as well as patrons discussing various subjects that would reach the ears of the employees. Among the many things Sofie learnt from Miara, was that rumors and news always managed to find their way to a bar long before they were announced by a street herald. A place like this should be ideal to help her learn more about this land.

She was a few feet away from the counter when she heard; "Well sweet Andraste's knickers, what did your parents feed you as a child, oxes?!" A mirthful rough voice spoke.

Sofie turned to see an auburn haired man with thick stubble; he approached her with an easy going smile. The nord tried not to cringe at his attire. Ugh was that splintmail? That was a poor man's substitute for heavier armor when the only other thing they could afford was leather. Alright, she had been blessed with an adoptive mother who did not lack money and happened to be a divine with the forge, so her standards on armor were understandably a _touch_ high.

As he got closer the man sized her up and whistled. "Phew. Yeah, stand by what I said, ate the whole damn ox and you got build like one too" He rubbed his chin. "Let me guess, avvar? Gotta have avvar blood at least"

Sofie did not understand what he meant by 'avvar', a tribe of humans perhaps? "I'm... from far away" She settled in saying. "And you are?"

The man did an exaggerate flourish with his arm; "Thomas Herthan, recruiter of the Blackstone Irregulars, and you" He looked at her gear, her weapons and armor, as well as her stature and warrior's build. "You look like the kind of person we like to get in our group"

"You're a fighter's guild?" She guessed.

"Ehh, we're trying to be" He awkwardly rubbed his neck. "We're mercenaries who have got a bit of a... 'History' of skirting the line with the law. But our boss Raelnor, he's making sure we go legit"

"I can applaud that." She really could respect those that wanted to be recognized as a proper and legal organization of warriors. "So this would also involve sanctioned contracts?"

"Yeah, but well" He hissed, "the war at Ostagar is making business difficult..."

That got Sofie's attention, she could feel the hairs on her neck standing on end; "War?"

Thomas gave her a strange look before realizing; "You must not have heard much news on the road here eh? Well currently King Cailan along with his generals and soldiers are all stationed at the ruins of Ostagar. They even hired Ash Warriors and mages from the Circle of Magi." The man showed slight apprehension as he paused for moment; "But then again you don't take chances with Darkspawn. I just pray to the Maker this isn't a Blight."

How his tone had become, as well as his body language told her the threat these 'Darkspawn' represented. And this 'Blight', it sounded like that had happened before. This was not a good thing.

So, they arrived at this nation that was on the cusp of a war...

...Awwww shit.

"Bartender!" She howled as she approached the bar, slamming her hand hard on the counter. "Mead!"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Well, this place was rather pleasant.

The temple Oryrn had entered possessed a quiet atmosphere. With rows of pews facing a podium upon which rested a heavy tome. There were very few people inside, the clergy if their distinctive robes were any indication, along with a few of the peasantry that were praying in the rows. Decorations such as paintings and statues of varying sizes dotted the temple, along with windows made out of stained glass that depicted various scenes and figures.

A common trait he found among all these was a woman. Graceful and beautiful, portrayed as divine, guiding the masses. Perhaps this woman was the center of this religion.

Oryrn calmly walked over the various paintings, looking over the descriptions engraved in metal, reading what they represented. 'Andraste burning on the pyre', 'Andraste rising up against the Imperium'. It was one in particular that caught his attention, that of the woman looking up to the sky in prayer, as a light descended upon her and her alone, 'Andraste receiving a vision from the Maker'.

'The Maker', hmm? Perhaps these folks were monotheistic and this Andraste was a saintly figure importantly related to their god. There were such cultures like this, like the Skaals of Solstheim who worshiped their All-Maker.

Gods and worship was a complicated subject, it was apt to say that all faiths were real, all gods and their aspects existed. Even if they contradicted each other, particularly if they contradicted each other. Indeed, theology was closely tied to the metaphysics of Nirn, time during the dawn of their world did not work lineally and so the forces behind its creation manifested themselves in multiple forms that represented the various forces of reality in one way or another. Sometimes the differences were subtle, other times they were as different as night and day. Yet that did not make any of them any less true.

Most common folks did not understand this, his mother had educated him and his siblings more thoroughly, being closely linked to the divine themselves, and it was something they had to understand.

Tamriel never doubted the existence of their aedric gods; the faithful would often receive their protection and blessings. Such as the pious having their wounds and lesser sickness cured at the altar of their gods. Their power was very much real, they protected Nirn still in their own subtle ways, as reaching out in a too direct approach was much more difficult. Unless things were truly, truly dire. Akatosh's manifestation on the Oblivion Crisis came to mind.

The daedra though, hmph, though it was too a simplistic point of view to call them evil, they certainly were much more meddlesome than the aedra. For good or ill. Even Grandmother had her own... 'Quirks' so to say.

"Greetings my child" A woman's voice called, and he saw a brown haired woman dressed in the golden robes of the clergy. She was somewhat taken aback the moment she saw his ears. He did not doubt she had never seen an elf like him before, he was taller than the average dunmer, and his build was much more befitting of a warrior. Elves of this land as he could see were too much like the bosmer on the other hand, Oryrn knew he was an unusual sight. "I am Revered Mother Perpetua. Have you come to pray?"

"I came out of curiosity Mother. I am Oryrn Redoran; I came with my family from very distance shores. Tamriel."

That peaked the sister's interest; "I have never heard of that place. Do you know of the Maker?"

"I am unaware of your religion Mother." Oryrn shook his head as he spoke politely; "Our nations are polytheistic as we believe in the Aedric Nine Divines." He noticed a few gasps from those close to him and the mother who were overhearing their conversation.

He could hear the accusing whispers, finding out he was a pagan was not a positive reaction. The few priestesses gazed at him with a mix of disgust and pity. He was not certain which was more prevalent from them. As for the 'Mother' who engaged in conversation with him gave him a saddened gaze. "That is most unfortunate my son."

He could tell she pitied him, as if he was some lost soul who needed saving.

A sister, or perhaps a mother, Oryrn was not sure, brought a book to Mother Perpetua. She in turn offered it to the elf with a solemn gaze; "May you seek enlightenment from the Maker" She gently said, honestly believing she was doing the right thing for him.

Oryrn had no intention of following their god. His own relationship with the gods was complicated already, as it was with his whole family. That, and there was something... off about all this. Oryrn could feel this was a place of faith, the faith of the people who gathered here, who prayed, who truly venerated this figure. It was in the air, in every tome, every picture and statue dedicated to their faith.

But... there was no holiness in this place. No true sacred power behind it.

In Tamriel, one could feel the power of the gods in their temples. Their holy relics shimmered with divine energies, their shrines resonated the will of the gods to the faithful. But this temple, this Chantry... it was empty. There was no power here, subtle or not, there was simply no divine essence that could belong to a deity whose patronage should be present on his sites of worship.

In the hierarchy of the Ada, the lesser spirits or minor gods like Tsun, Phynaster, or Ius, as they were known still had their own presence in objects and shrines dedicated them, though not as overwhelming as the sacred energies of the much higher and supreme spirits that stood at the top of the ranks of the Ada, the major gods such as Akatosh, Mara, Kynareth and such.

Even the 'dead' gods' power could still manifest. Death was not as simple for the Ada as it was for mortals; indeed, 'death' was a hard concept to apply to the divine, even to the aedra whose compromise in the creation of the world left them with more vulnerable forms, such as the aspects of Lorkhan. Or even the supposedly consumed Trinamac.

Oryrn's mind reached different conclusions as to why this temple, and many others he suspected, was bereft of their deity. Either this being had truly perished in a complete and total fashion... or it was no god to begin with, perhaps it did not even exist.

But he would not speak his thoughts out loud to the clergy. Already he could tell he was on thin ice with them due to him being a 'heathen'; there was no reason to insult their faith.

"It shall prove an interesting read" He said, much to the Mother's joy. She curtly nodded and left him so he could begin his study.

Skimming through the pages he found the verses of this 'Chant of Light'.

 _These truths the Maker has revealed to me:_

 _As there is but one world,_

 _One life, one death, there is_

 _But one god and He is our Maker._

 _They are sinners, who have given their love_

 _To false gods._

Well then, it was obvious this people had an issue with polytheism and other religions in general. The second verse was not much better.

 _Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him._

 _Foul and corrupt are they_

 _Who have taken His gift_

 _And turned it against His children._

 _They shall be named Maleficar, accursed ones._

 _They shall find no rest in this world_

 _Or beyond._

Hmph... This was problematic.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Miara's footsteps were heavy as she finally left the Alienage. Valendrian and the redheaded girl who went by Shianni had explained that the most cities like Amaranthine, Highever, Edgehall, etc. had alienages. The same went for all of continent. Some varied on the degree on how destitute they were. Especially with Edgehall's being outside the city itself which made it the perfect place for bandits or invaders to always hit first.

And the treatment of elves was more akin to animals than to actual people. Not to say all the humans felt like that. Even among the nobility there were people who spoke for the elven-kin in Thedas, as she learned of the continent's name... But that generosity only went so far, even less noticed. And they were not very numerous to begin with.

After saying her farewells and promises to return, the hidden dark elf needed to find some way to cool off before she hit someone. Returning to the Market district it was like night and day with how different the two areas were. Standing at the Alienage entrance, her eyes gazed around, absently seeing Serana roaming the market. No, she did not want to ruin Serana's mood with her poor one.

Looking around, the dark elf froze as she saw her salvation... 'Wade's Emporium', a wooden sign hanged above a door of a large shop. The carved symbols of the hammer and anvil below the shop's name only made Miara smile. A blacksmith! YES! Oh that is what she needed right now.

Oh she wanted to know what type of works could be done in these lands. So far what she had seen from the guards interested due to their particular styles. Gingerly, she entered through the door and was greeted with a very familiar sight. A darkly lite store from which on a corner she could see the glare of a forge.

She watched the myriad of weapons on the stands and racks, at first glance they looked like solid work, at a closer inspection she was hard pressed to find any glaring inadequacy on the various pieces of weaponry. The smith responsible for their work was talented, very talented.

Eager to meet the person responsible, she turned to face the counter and saw two men arguing. Both were humans, one was fair skinned and had brown hair, he bore a very exasperated look directed at his companion, a bald human with dark skin and a thick mustache and beard, by the stained apron on his person Miara quickly deduced the second human was the smith.

"Wade, he already paid up front! You HAVE to make this!"

"With the piss poor materials he requested? That is just an insult to me and my work, Herren!" The smith spoke in a tone Miara often found on snooty nobles and artists. This man clearly considered his craft to be more of an art then a profession if he was denying work that was payed up front. Miara could respect that, but that was no way to make a living.

"Oh you're exaggerating again..." This was clearly not the first time the two argued like that.

The smith replied slowly before shouting. "He wants me to forge a sword out of brass... BRASS!"

Miara couldn't help but wince in sympathy. Brass was pretty like gold, but very brittle and useless in weaponry. A weapon like that would break in a few swings. Hmm, but there were ways to make up for that.

"Might as well make him a wooden sword. How does he expect me to make him a weapon with such a fragile metal?!"

"Use ground up turquoise dust during the forging process" Miara spoke, gathering the attention from the two men. "And then tamper it quicksilver"

The man Herren quickly stammered. "O-Oh I'm so sorry you had to see that. Feel free to browse our wares, or if you have a request Wade here can make it. He's simply an artist" He spoke the last word through gritted teeth in barely controlled anger. "Isn't that right Wade?" Instead of the usual comeback, Herren found the smith to be oddly silent. "Wade?"

The darker skinned man was stroking his mustache, his gaze lost in thought as he muttered to himself. "The alchemical properties of turquoise have the effect of hardening materials... Hmm, quicksilver to tamper the blade, yes, yes..." He suddenly brightened up. "Yes, indeed!"

Miara leaned back as Wade came a bit too close to her personal space; "My dear are you a smith?"

"Wade you're being rude," Herren spoke up, glaring.

The Dragonborn moved back a little; "Been one since I was little. It's my first trade next to adventuring." Pulling out an ebony dagger from her belt she handed it to Wade; "Other than my swords, from my attire to this dagger was made by me."

Herren blinked as his partner inspected the small weapon. His eyes boring at every detail of the dagger; "This... THIS IS MAGNIFICENT!" the clerk jumped as Wade shouted to the heavens. The dark elf in disguise winced at the man's sheer volume of his voice. "The detailing is remarkable!" Again Wade encroached Miara's personal space as he started to inspect her clothes. "Marvelous! Absolutely marvelous! You are not ranked amateur my dear, you are a master! HERREN!" The eccentric smith spun around to look at his longtime friend, "She gets a fifty percent discount on all wares!"

"WHAT!? You just met her!"

"A true master smith shows respect to their fellow smith. And this young lady is a true master blacksmith," Wade's spoke with utter seriousness as his eyes danced with a steely fire. "Anyone who can make such quality work is to be shown complete respect!" Wade soon turned back to the wide eyed elven woman; "I forgot to ask your name my dear."

"Miara Redoran," she said. A part wanted to say she was likely older than both of them combined, but kept quiet.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Serana, as a vampire, possessed various strengths at the costs of the weaknesses that came with her kind. One such strength was her senses being much more powerful than a regular mortal's, her hearing, her sight, and her smell. The last one was particularly sensitive to the smell of blood, indeed, Serana's nose guided her just as well as a bloodhound (no pun intended).

And right now, fittingly perhaps, Serana's nose was telling her Ferelden smelled like wet dog.

Seriously, the day wasn't over yet and she had caught the scent of at least a dozen different dogs ever since they disembarked. They couldn't seem to walk a few blocks without coming across one on the way. Either street mutts or dogs that walked with their owners, this country had a thing for canine companions.

Though the vampire could understand, her death hounds CuSith and Garmr were just the most adorable and loyal companions a vampire could ask for. Even if their undead appearance made people run away in terror, which was why she made it a upon of conjuring them to her side only when no strangers unfamiliar with them were around, aside from when she wanted a little help killing something as well.

Trying and failing to ignore the constant canine smell, which she honestly doubted would go away unless she left Ferelden, she kept her keen eyes on the small shops and vendors selling all kinds of wares, from clothing, weapons, jewelry, furniture, and pets.

However she stopped upon seeing a dwarven man in decent clothes setting up weapons and armor. It was still so weird not seeing an elf tied to the name dwarf but a small humanoid. Aw well, curiosity called to her as she walked over. Eyeing the man she saw he had short red hair with a braided short beard. Well the beard thing matched at least.

Setting up varying weapons on a wooden rack, he turned looking up to a rather towering cloaked figure, but could see quite a beautiful pale face with full red lips smiling at him; "Hello, my name is Gorim Saelac."

"Serana Volkihar, are you a weapon merchant?"

"Well plan to be," Gorim said honestly; "I recently just started this trade a few days ago. Are you Avvar by chance? I've heard about them but never actually seen one."

So there were people like Nords here? Well she kept that tidbit of information to herself till meeting back up with her family, "No but I am foreigner from very different shores." She paused for a moment before smiling again; "You have remarkable weapons and armor here."

Gorim smiled at that; "Thank you, I like to say we have all manner of gear. From human, dwarven, and some elven."

"Would you happen to have schematics for weapons and armor?"

That was an odd request; "I do... Are you a smith?"

"No but my lover is."

"Ahhh, a man who knows his work around the forge" Gorim said in approval. Clearly smithing was very valued skill among the dwarven people. "A good choice"

There was one part he got wrong about his assumption, Serana was far from offended though. She merely chuckled and corrected him. "My lover's a woman"

His eyes widened and blinked a quick succession, mouth open in embarrassment as he let out a soft 'oh'. "M-My apologies I didn't mean to assume" He awkwardly scratched his neck. "Nothing wrong with, it's just very different from how things are in Orzammar"

'Orzammar' must be some dwarven land or city, Serana guessed. "Indeed?" She neutrally said.

"It's not forbidden or anything, it's just, well" He sighed sadly, and the vampire could see the melancholy in his eyes. "We're not very numerous to begin with and over the last generations our race has been facing a problem of dwindling conception rates, so you don't see unions like that very often"

That was a very serious issue. One that the altmer had been facing for some time now, the Thalmor's government endorsed practices on arranged marriages and breeding to produce 'superior offspring' had been steadily deteriorating their fertility rates. For as much as it was important in various cultures to keep a bloodline strong for whatever reasons, often a special trait found in that bloodline for example, magical or otherwise, the truth of the matter was that variety in the bloodline was very important. Variety in the blood, mixing and producing new blood, was what kept a sapiens biology strong.

Mixing blood between different families could produce an offspring that would possess a much stronger fertility rate, but seeing as those types of bloodlines belonged to those of 'lower status', the Thalmor would not even entertain the thought, 'impurities' they would call it. It wasn't until the Second Great War had wiped out the Thalmor and redefined the power structure in Summerset were the altmer free of forming unions as they pleased, a mixed heritage of different bloodlines, rather than keeping them 'pure' was already showing promising results. It would take time, but Serana was sure the altmer would overcome this. For the entire high and mighty attitude, she couldn't help but agree they were arguably the most cultured race of Tamriel for a reason.

She didn't know if this was a similar issue with the dwarves, if there were different levels of nobility and castes with intermarriages between them causing the issue, or it was something directly tied to their biology, but she did not press the issue. It was obviously a sensitive subject.

Though the vampire did notice the nostalgia and melancholy in his gaze and the tone of his voice. "So you are from Orzammar I take it, do you miss your home?"

Gorim contemplated his answer for silent second. "I do" He confessed. "At first the surface was very odd to me, all this... sky and sun" Interesting, so the dwarves were an underground race. Another strange coincidence they shared with the long gone dwemer from Tamriel. "Honestly, I was forced to leave due to... circumstances. Forgive me, but they are private and I don't want to share them with a stranger"

"Understandable" Oh Serana understood all too well. "I hope this life here is kind to you" She meant that honestly.

"My thanks" He actually smiled, there were sincere joy on the gesture. "I've actually entered in business with a dwarven smith here. This gear I'm selling? His work. And I um" Oh he had that lovey-dovey expression on his face, Serana noticed with mirth. "His daughter is... very kind"

"Oho?" The vampire smiled widely. "Well, seems to be this surface under the sky and sun isn't so bad after all then?"

He chuckled happily. "Indeed stranger. Indeed it is not"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

"Have they taken any cargo off their ship Harbormaster?"

"Only two crates my lady, both were opened to show the contents. One was filled with different type's beverages, the second being clothing of various types. Captain Rag'Nar explained they had other items to show, but I stated for them to wait for the inspection... Though I was not expecting your majesty to personally conduct the inspection"

There was complete surprise in the tone of the harbormaster's voice as he walked beside the queen of Ferelden with her elven handmaiden Erlina and royal guards making their way to the docks.

"This is first contact with a foreign nation unknown to Ferelden and perhaps Thedas itself. Such an event must be taken seriously."

"Yes your grace."

The queen of Ferelden could barely even begin to make sense of the situation. Foreigners, from beyond the sea, from lands no one had ever seen before. First the Blight emerging from the south and now this? The timing was extremely convenient, but Anora could not attribute it to nothing more than a coincidence, as there simply would be no relation between the two that could be explained logically.

'Explorers', her soldiers had informed her, that's what the outlanders called themselves. Perhaps it was her father's distrustful nature speaking, but Anora was a politician, she knew it was naive to expect some foreign people to arrive at their shores without an agenda in mind. Perhaps that was actually the Ferelden in her, the experiences of the Orlesian occupation culturally ingrained into her. Making her wary, skeptic about the whole affair.

But she had a duty to perform, to make sure her land and people were safe. She could trust her men to carry it out, but Anora wanted to see it personally. She needed to make sure these people were not a threat to her kingdom. Had Cailan been here and not in Ostagar he would have found the situation exciting, but Anora was far more careful in her approach than her husband. She would evaluate these foreigners herself.

Her soldiers cleared the way through the docks, she barely acknowledged the commoners bowing before the queen as she marched, her focus laid solely with the ship that was dock. Similar in design, yet clearly not from this land. The red flag with the symbol of what she could only guess was a dragon flapped gently with the wind.

Oh Maker above, this couldn't have come in a worse time... "Well" The queen sighed to her handmaiden, "Let's hope this isn't something the history books will look back with grieve"

"It is too early to say my lady" Erlina, ever her confident, assured her.

Speaking with docks officials, Anora saw a very tall man. Strongly built with a head full of bright auburn hair and a thick beard, the shade of his skin was tanned, the type sailors obtained from lifetimes under the sun, but his tone was almost a reddish burn, indicating his skin was originally pale in comparison with other folks'. He reminded her a bit of the people from the Anderfels.

His attention turned to her as she and her entourage approached the officials he had been speaking too bowed before her, something he took notice of. "You are Captain Rag'Nar, I am informed correct?"

"Aye" The foreign sailor replied with a gruff accented voice. "That is I. To whom am I speaking, my lady?" He was polite enough it seemed.

"I am Queen Anora Theirin of Ferelden" She regally spoke, projecting her authority as a ruler.

His eyes widened in surprise. "I... I had not expected to meet royalty, your highness" He bowed his head shortly, showing the proper etiquette one should present to a foreign member of royalty.

"My people also inform you are 'explorers' you say?"

"Yes we are, my lady" He said. "From the lands of Tamriel, across the seas from these lands. We explore in the name of the Cyrodiilic Empire, by order of his imperial majesty, Nihlus Crassus First of His Name"

An empire? That was... worrying. Very much so if Anora was being honest with herself. "And what are your intentions?"

"As I said your highness. We merely set out to explore" He put a hand to his chest, emphasizing that his words were naught but the truth. "As well as trade, we bring items that might be of value, your majesty."

Anora turned her sight to the open crates the Harbormaster as told her a moment prior. The Queen with Erlina faithfully following her majesty takes a look at the alcohol. Rag'Nar also came over as he spoke; "We felt it best showing the best of Tamriel has in trading of goods. That is one of the few crates of beverages."

The queen read over the brand names, Cyrodiilic brandy, Surilie Syrah Wine, Cloudrest Golden Ale, "Black-Briar Mead?"

"Aye that is a rarity from the northern lands of Skyrim. After the untimely passing of Maven Black-Briar, Her family's famous meadery went into decline. Her husband and children never had the business clout she possessed."

There was certainly a wide range of drinks, though she paused again seeing what looked like a vase sealed at the top. And unlike the rest had no name on it. "What is that?" Anora pointed to the vase.

"Ah, that is Sujamma. The primary alcohol of the Dunmeri people." The Red griffon captain smiled being actually fond of it himself.

"Dunmeri?"

"Dark Elves your majesty," he noticed that got Anora's handmaiden's attention who was previously looking over the clothing.

The queen placed that thought in the back of her mind as she turned her attention to the captain; "I'd like to fully inspect your ship if that no trouble."

"None at all, the ship is open to you, your majesty. I do have to say though; my crew may look unique to you."

Anora arched an elegant eyebrow. "Unique you say?"

"Some of them uh... they're not human"

"Elves" She guessed.

"Among others. You most likely won't believe me until you see them for yourself, hmph, might not even believe it even if you see them"

The queen did not know what the man said by 'among others', but she felt he was avoiding the issue and wanted to get to the matter of it; "Please captain, whomever your crew if composed of, I do not think they'll be so outlandish for me to believe"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Anora did not believe it. She did not believe it at all.

Years of etiquette had been thrown out the window, her calm composure shattered like frail Orlesian pottery. She could not even stop the opening and closing of her mouth as nothing came out of it, not even a half formed word.

She was currently staring at a... lizard. A giant, walking, clothes-wearing, lizard...

"This" Captain Rag'Nar said awkwardly, "Is what I meant" He coughed and cleared his throat. "As you can see, this is my crew. Some of the races that make up Tamriel's many diverse peoples"

Anora just continued staring at the lizard ('argonian' the captain had said), his (was it even a he?) eyes staring back at her. It was so difficult to make out what the being was thinking or feeling with its stiff facial expressions.

Her soldiers were... 'Frightened' could be one word and none were in a better state then her. The humans from Tamriel were ignored in favor of the rest. Erlina for her part marveled at the sight of these elves, from short and green skinned, medium-height and colored like ashes with blazing red eyes, to the astonishly tall and golden skinned. Of course, was the were more outlandish folks, such as those furred creatures with the forms of walking cats, one in particular looking particularly elven or perhaps even human in face structure, despite being covered by furs, she still had a tail and ears like those of her kin. Then there was that huge hulking mass of rippling muscle, wrapped in greyish-brown skin that presented a threatening look. It was rather like a qunari, if the horns had been replaced with tusks on his lower jaw.

Erlina shivered as the tusked mouthed elf growled as he walked passed. One of the cat people (Khajiit as the Captain explained) spoke; "This one can tell you are nervous, do not mind Baronk. For an Orc he is quite gentle."

'Gentle' was not the word Anora's handmaiden thought of as the 'Orc' picked up a large crate with one hand easily. Baronk growled again as he walked passed them. Anora herself could not stop staring at the Argonian who stared back in amusement. "Beast folk I see are quite a surprise to you, your majesty," his voice was a deep masculine tone with a rasp. But not accented like the Khajiit.

For once Anora could admit she was lost for words. However she along with her entourage were oblivious to the figure hiding in the shadows. Miara was thankful that a runner came to her as she left Wade's Emporium. Upon learning of who was inspecting the ship, the elven general stealthily got back onboard the Red Griffon to observe the Ferelden Queen.

Anora looked about her children's age; strong blue eyes, fair beautiful skin with blond hair up in a double bun. She wore a beautiful and elegant velvet and maroon dress with gold lining with boots. She carried herself well for a young queen.

Her handmaiden also had Miara attention as the elf servant blushed at being winked by the Ohmes-raht smiling at her. Small and lithe like Bosmer and elves here with fair skin, black hair in bun with a single bang out. Wearing a simple but elegant red and black dress, a far cry from the other elves she had met.

"I-I apologize for staring milord Argonian," Anora's voice was slight shaky but recovered her dignity as well as her composure.

The said Argonian let out a soft laugh; "Just Haran your majesty, welcome aboard the Red Griffon."

The queen had to gather herself, "I-I apologize" She rubbed the bridge of her nose, trying to collect her thoughts. "I never- I never expected there could be there could be... people like you out there in other lands"

"I imagine it must be so" The captain replied. "When we came to these shores we did not know what to expect. Humans were not really a surprise; humanity seems to be a constant in the world, along with elves. Your elven folk here is not really odd to us" Rag'Nar chuckled lightly. "The dwarves on the other hand. Heh, well that's another matter but for... other reason we don't really have the time to discuss today"

"I see..." Anora's tone made it clear that she did not 'see', at all. But left it at that. "I cannot fault you for hiding most of your crew away. Most of the folk here would probably react... violently upon seeing some of your men"

"The monstrous beast people suddenly walking about" The argonian said with humor in his voice. "Yes, better to be safe than sorry"

"Maker..." One of the queen's guards couldn't help but breathe out.

Erlina was not sure what to feel, these elves were... alien to her. So outlandish in their looks, mysterious. That tall one with the golden skin look so majestic. She had to admit these 'beastfolks' were a bit frightening to her; there just wasn't anything like them in Thedas. The imposing qunari fell short when compared to these new races. Though a part of her felt oddly curious about these cat-folk, she had always been a cat person so she felt the soft urge to pet one of them. Oh Maker was that racist? She didn't want to do something a bigoted human would do...

The female one, with the looks of a furred elf, winked at her again when she caught Erlina staring. The handmaiden blushed and coughed into her mouth, avoiding her gaze.

"So" Little by little, the queen began recovering from the initial shock. "You truly do come to explore, and nothing else?"

"The empire is not looking for war, your majesty" Captain Rag'Nar assured. "Tamriel is enjoying peace, as peaceful as our continent can be. But we never know what might come for us when we least expect it"

At that Anora could respect that statement; nobody knew what was going to happen in the future. Her nation's current situation came to mind. Taking a long breathe the young queen smiled at the captain; "I authorize the trading of goods."

Rag'Nar bowed his head; "I thank you, your majesty. As token of good faith feel free to take any of the alcoholic beverages and clothing you'd like."

Miara saw the young queen smile at that as she bid her farewells to the captain and crew. As she, her handmaiden, and guards were gone the dark elf walked silently out of shadows in her true form. "Well even I wasn't expecting that. She knows how to take the initiative."

The Argonian Haran chuckled; "Only children have stared at me like that." He looked to the elven general; "Your thoughts?"

"Young, but well educated. Also has that stature of a true monarch, but can tell she has much room to grow." Miara's offered her first opinion of Anora Theirin.

The Altmer among the crew snorted; "Her guards were not as calm. I saw their hands going for their swords."

"And would you expect your day to consist of encountering anthropomorphic catmen and lizardmen you've never seen before?" Haran chuckled again.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Anora let out a long sigh as Erlina held onto several dresses and a bottle of Surilie Syrah Wine. "That was... different."

"Bloody monsters your majesty," one of her guards spoke in a shudder.

"Do not be rude Ser Benjen. I admit I was surprised by the appearance of the beast folk. But they as we all saw acted like proper individuals. Ser Edmond, I'd like one or two guardsmen to least keep an eye on the crew of Red Griffon. While I doubt there will be trouble, it is never a bad thing to be prepared"

Her other guard at her side nodded; "Yes my queen."

"When I woke up this morning" Erlina started, her expression indicating she was still processing today's events, "I did not expect to meet entirely new races"

"On that, my dear, we can both agree" The queen replied, letting out a soft sigh.

"Should a letter to your husband and father be written about today's developments, my queen?" Her aid asked.

Anora considered it for a moment; "Let them focus on the Darkspawn, they don't need to worry about this 'empire of Tamriel' for now. I'll inform them once the situation on the south is under controlled, for now the day to day affairs must be taken care of"

"Per your wish, my queen"

The left her mind wonder as they made their way back to the palace. The darkspawn at the south, and now strangers from very strange lands that came from the eastern sea, she honestly hoped this wasn't a Maker-sent omen. Their intentions were peaceful, but she knew not what the future would entail, one thing she feared was that Tamriel would become a player in the affairs of Thedas one day. Nothing threatened the status quo and frail balance of power more than a new player.

Maker, what was this world coming too?

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The patrons of the Gnawed Noble Tavern were startled as the door was slammed open in a rage. Everyone looked over as Sarya came inside with sheer anger radiating off her. It was enough to quell anyone from talking back to her, as no one wanted to face the fury coming off the woman. Sarya herself ignored the looks, taking a seat at one of the large sofa's opposite of her brother and sister who blinked at her.

"Gonna take a guess and say you're angry," Sofie remarked earning a glare; "What did you find?"

Oryrn spoke up; "Wait for mother and Serana. I doubt Sarya wants to repeat what she learned, it'll just make her madder." Being twins, he could at an unconscious level feel his sister's rage as if it was own. Whatever she learned affected her greatly.

That and she had that expression that said 'If I do not kill someone right this moment to vent my anger I will set this land ablaze'.

He was used to his twin's expressions.

Thankfully it was not long before Miara and Serana came to the tavern. The hidden dark elf lifted a brow at her Sarya who looked ready to burn the entire tavern into ashes as her fingers wrapped on the table.

"Alright, alright" Years of experience regarding placating her children... Okay, it was just Sarya who needed to be held in check. Sofie and Oryrn had been little saints, but her youngest daughter was simply a hurricane of intense emotions, tantrums, and raw magical potential waiting to happen so she often had to keep a closer eye on her little magician. Point is; she knew how to handle her. "Let's all calm down before you reduce this place to a crater. Now" She sat in next to her daughter and put a hand on her shoulder, talking her like one would a child throwing a tantrum. "What's wrong?"

Sarya grumbled, clearly holding back on the rage that threatened to explode. "Not. Here" She immediately went to the counter, dropping a bag of gold in front of the man behind it. "We'll take a room" She did not even wait for the man to tell them which was available, nor did she care to pay him the right amount for whatever a room was worth, he did not want to get in her way with a mood like that.

Oryrn sighed as he followed his twin, his family joined in soon after; already dreading what could possibly be that got her into such mood. The elven man had a guess, given what he learnt in the Chantry...

"Oh great, it's going to be one of those days" Serana muttered to herself.

"You have no idea" Sofie dourly said. They haven't even gotten to what she learnt.

The first room Sarya took was thankfully empty, once her family went inside and got comfortable she waved her hand in the air, a trail of magical energy casting sigils that spread across the room, glowing before vanishing, effectively warding the area from prying eyes and ears.

"So" Miara started as she sat on the edge of the bed, on leg crossed over the other. "What did you learn that's got your small-clothes on a twist?"

Sarya took a deep breath, and so she told them.

Everything, all she had learnt from the books she laid it out to them. The Chantry, Thedosian Templars, Mages, the Circles, the Tranquil...

When she was finished, her family was staring at her wide eyed. Only Oryrn kept a more focused and collected expression.

"...Barbarians," Serana breathed out in absolute disgust hearing about the Tranquil. "Don't they realize they have effectively violated that person's soul?!"

"Caging up people like animals simply because they have magic," Miara growled.

Oryrn grunted; "Coincides with everything I learned at the Chantry." He tossed over the book the priestess gave him to his mother.

Serana took a seat on the bed beside her lover as both she and Miara looked through it. Sarya paced; "If anyone is shown to have an ounce of magic, they become outcast and sent to those Circles. They treat magic like a damn curse! And their Templars are an insult to everything Oryrn stands for!"

Though offered a position and trained among the Paladins of Saint Alessia, Sarya's brother was content being a holy Templar, wielding holy magic in the defense of people. The news of the Thedosian Templars was disconcerting to the dark elf. However unlike the rest of family he was reserved with his feelings. "I had expected their culture to be different of course. But this…" His voice trailed off.

"Oryrn," he looked over to his mother; "do you intend to read this?"

"I already did. But I won't keep-" in seconds the book was covered in flames. And his mother wonders where Sarya gets her temper. "Well I have a few more bits on the Chantry."

"If I ever go to one of their Circles" The youngest daughter swore darkly. "I'll burn it to the ground"

Sarya was far more affected than the others, that much was clear to Miara. Magic was everything to her, you couldn't simply put it into words how much that young woman valued her craft. Knowledge and advancement, those were the things Sarya held sacred to her. And from what they found so far, the Chantry's practices were anathemas to everything she believed it.

"Let's calm ourselves for a moment" Ever the diplomat in the family, Oryrn calmly spook. "There is a particular part I find disturbing"

"Oh!" Sarya sarcastically replied; "The mutilation of people's souls by severing their emotions wasn't enough for you?!"

He merely regarded her for a moment, unphased by her outburst. "Magic is severely limited here"

His words brought pause to Sarya, and to the others.

That... was true. Only a handful of people were considered mages because they were the 'only' ones that could perform magic, by drawing the energies of this 'Fade' realm.

That particular piece of information was highly disturbing. In Tamriel magic was everywhere, everyone had the capacity for it but not all bothered to learn it, as such only those who truly dedicated themselves to the craft were considered 'mages' or some of their variants. Magic came from the aedric realms of Aetherius as it passed through daedric worlds of Oblivion, magic made up the very fabric of existence; it was in every ray of the sun, to every plant that grew on the ground.

That people in these lands could not access it, save for a spare few who were just 'born' that way... that was unprecedented.

"Something is wrong here" Sarya critically said, her mind racing over the possibilities. "The connection to Aetherius must be severely weakened in this continent. Limiting the number of people who can use magical abilities, and those that can... their only source must be this Fade, which I suspect must by an Oblivion realm"

That made a frightening amount of sense. As they read, mages were caged because their powers could get out of control without proper training, and were under the risk of being possessed by demons. Now, in Tamriel magic didn't go out of control unless you were actively casting it and didn't exercise enough control, people wouldn't just randomly 'lose control' one day unless something was wrong with their magic, and cases like that were rare.

Magic from Oblivion was far more unstable than from Aetherius. If the mages here only received magical energies from an Oblivion realm it would explain why their magics were so volatile.

As for what Thedas referred to as 'demons', well they could only speculate. While the phrase had fallen out of favor to describe the daedra it was still a very apt term. Possessions were a varied case in Tamriel, often happening due to specters and unrestful ghosts of dead mortals. Some daedra were capable of affecting the mind or outright controlling others, but cases like those weren't limited to mages, and daedra were not interested in taking over bodies but rather wanted their pawns to facilitate whatever goals they had. And it was not a rampant problem that would plague society like demons would plague Thedosian mages if what these texts said were any true. That and there were ways to ward off foreign influence affecting one's mind, particularly that of the daedra.

The news did not get much better as Miara explained her trip to the Alienage. Speaking with that Shianni girl and Elder Valendrian, having been told of the plight of the elves of Thedas, though to their surprise Sofie was the most enraged.

After the death of her parents, she had lived in the Grey Quarter with the Dunmer. They took care of her while she was ignored by the Nords in Windhelm because their precious civil war for independence meant more than feeding homeless orphaned children or starving citizens no matter what race they were. Why she still hated the fabled 'City of kings', Ulfric Stormcloak, and his Stormcloak soldiers to this day. After the death of her birth parents, that place held no pleasant memories for her.

But she shoved down her rage with an explosive breath; "Well not that I have much good news either. I met a spokesman of the Blackstone Irregulars group. A band of mercenaries wanting to make a proper name for themselves by going legal."

"Offered you a position?" Miara asked smirking.

"I declined but agreed to help them out. I was told King Cailan of Ferelden and his army was at the ruins of Ostagar preparing for war..."

The Redoran family looks at her with wide eyes, their gaze slowly going over the matriarch.

Miara still had her legs crossed, with a hand resting over her mouth, overall she looked like she was in deep thought. Probably taking in the news and planning their next course of action.

"Awww, fuck..." She then suddenly jumped off the bed with a large smile on her face; "Alright kids, pack your things. We're going back home!" She nearly runs out of the room if not for Serana's swift reaction by grabbing the dunmer's wrist. Her vampiric strength managed to hold Miara's beyond-mortal might, the struggle was visible in both their faces one sought to escape and the other to keep her in place.

"Don't... be so childish Miara!" Serana grunted under the strain, burying her heels on the floor so the dunmer wouldn't escape her grasp.

"No! No! Nononono! I'm not doing this shit again!" The Dragonborn cried back in petulant defiance. "First a prophecy and now I enter a country in a war! This is how it always happens! I'm not staying here and you can't make me!"

By Mother and all the gods in the heavens and all hells, she wasn't going to live through another Skyrim! All the signs were here already! However she had made the mistake looking back to her children and seeing the determined gazes from all three.

Miara sighed in defeat as she gathered herself. "Very well, let's think this logically" She massaged her temples as she thought over all the information they had obtained. "So, who are they fighting?"

"Apparently some race of monsters called the 'Darkspawn'" Sofie began explaining. "They periodically rise from underground throughout the eras to attack the surface and destroy everything in their path"

"I read about them" Oryrn said, perking up as the words from the book he had read suddenly came to him. "Their lore says these beings were born out of a curse, their god casted out mages that had tried to usurp heaven and sent them back to the world as horribly creatures that spread their 'Taint'"

The Dragonborn's eyes narrowed in thought, the High Seer's words echoing in her head. A darkness that spread from the west...

"Could it be what Arameris saw?" She pondered.

"It would certainly seem possible given the circumstances" Sarya nodded. "But it'd be best to investigate, see what else we can learn about these lands"

"Then we need to split up" Oryrn suggest, running a hand over his chin. "Cover more ground"

Miara agreed; "Very well. I shall go north, Oryrn you go west. Sarya you travel south, and Serana, we need a pair of eyes in the capital" Her family nodded in agreement with her plan. "You all have your rings?"

The answers came in the form of the four raising their hands, showing they each possessed a ring with a blue jewel. A special piece of jewelry enchanted to work as a form of communication, sending crystals or communication stones they were called. That way they could keep in touch.

"Sarya" She turned to her youngest. "Have you placed any Mark and Recall runes here?"

"Found a few good safe places" She brightened. "In fact, I even found a cache from something called the Mages' Collective, they seem to be an underground group that…" Upon seeing her family's dry gazes, she knew to stop before she could go on a rant. "Right, right. I'll tell you more on another occasion."

Miara sighed and look lovingly at her children; "Be careful" She hugged them one by one. "I love you"

"We love you too, mom" Sofie smiled brightly as she picked up her smaller mother from the ground. Setting her down, she looked at the vampire coyly. The Volkihar knew she wouldn't escape from this, so submitted to her fate of being embraced in a painfully tight hug.

"Okay, okay" Serana huffed. "Love you too my big girl"

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Miara sighed as she stood at gate entrance of Denerim. Luckily Serana had the mind to get everyone maps to know where they could go. The hidden dark elf just hoped none of them, well Sarya, wouldn't cause too much trouble. Grunting, Miara soon began her journey figuring it was best to summon Shadowmare away from any prying eyes and avoid into a fight with Templars. She waited until she was well alone in the road to summon her dark horse.

Honestly, it's not that she was unsympathetic to the plights of a land at war. But already this felt too much like her early days in Skyrim, such that it was unnerving her. A prophecy, a land at war, her arrival when it was all coming to fruition, yeah... This had Fate written all over it.

Skyrim... it had been horrible at some points. She had made mistake after mistake, a particular episode of her life involving how she became drunk on her own power.

Amidst the chaos and turmoil, the voice of the dragon, her instincts they felt just so... clear. Easy to understand, to follow. It brought sense to a world that had none. She felt at ease, powerful.

But little had she understood back then, was just how much some of her actions were becoming more... ruthless. Oh Miara did not delude herself into thinking she was a good person, she was still very utterly savage and ruthless, but would direct those actions against those that would deserve it.

But those early days were her at her most foolish, so selfish and centered only in her own ambitions she had not stopped to consider the consequences, how her actions were affecting everyone else.

Sometimes she would think back on that day, on the fearless eyes of Titus Mede as he stared at her, unwavering even in the face of death. The battlefields she stumbled upon, the war growing worse due to what she did. The Thalmor growing bolder as the empire weakened.

All because she had been selfish. The people she saved, the wars she ended... she had just been clearing her own mess. A 'hero' they called her, a hero should not crush the hopes of a proud people because it was the most pragmatic solution.

She just did not want to repeat those mistakes, so she strived to be better. But the dragon, her soul... it was an insatiable animal. She had long since accepted it, the dragon was her and she was the dragon. There was no changing that, she would be merciless upon those that deserved it and indulge in the need for domination, for those that needed it she would try to be the best she could.

Miara would walk in between the light and the dark, but never allow the dark to consume. For that lead to-

 _'Do you ever wonder if it hurts? To have one's soul ripped out like that?'_

The dunmer squeezed her red eyes shut, pushing the memory, the echo in her soul, as far away from her mind as she could and focused on the present. Now was not the time for self-pity.

Collecting her thoughts the Dragonborn marveled at the feat of engineering that was the Imperial Highway. From what Sarya explained about Ferelden history, the Tevinter Imperium ruled these lands and all of Thedas long ago. With powerful magic's they craved large stones so they created a vast highway that spanned all over Ferelden and areas once rule by the Imperium.

Said to be the safest and quickest way to reach any of the cities of Ferelden.

"BANDITS!"

Well safe was a debatable term. The Elven general rode forward, ready to offer aid to whoever needed it. Drawing Dragonbane, she did not have to go far. Ahead of her she saw men wearing well-crafted plate armor, swords drawn fighting against men in poor armor of leathers and weapons of lesser quality. The mark of any bandit no matter what country they are from.

The men in plate armor were defending a human man in his mid-latter years, wearing a refined shirt and pants. Definitely a noble, however unlike most, unless you count Skyrim nobility, this man had his sword drawn and was fighting beside his men.

Miara grinned. Well, time to down her first foe in this land.

She was disappointed it'd be mere bandits, but they'll do.

For now…

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	3. The Line of Cousland: Act I

**Disclaimer** : We do not own Dragon Age Origins or Elder Scrolls Series

 **Co-Author and Beta** : Etheral-23

 **The Line of Cousland: Act I**

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The Denerim market was bustling with commerce as people bought and sold all types of wares. Under the massive tent of the markets was centered a bald tanned skinned man in his mid-forties, dressed in simple but refined clothes he leant himself over a wooden table by several animal cages going over several papers. "I must say my old friend," His antivan accented voice was both calm and deep as he spoke in the king's tongue. "These types of duties would be preferred naturally to a servant."

"Very true," came a calm refined voice of a man who stood opposite of the other man. By his clothing alone you could tell this individual was high-born. But it also showed in his presence and posture, his blue eyes which shone with strength, dignity, resolution, and honor. Though in late forties like the other man, it did not show much save for the grey in what was his well-groomed, neck-length brunette locks, and trimmed facial hair.

"For the teyrn of Highever himself to come all the way to Denerim for something as menial as supplies seems a touch strange. But then, I have to question the nature of the supplies you are procuring so personally." The man placed the papers onto the table as he stood fully matching the other man in height; "So Bryce, what can you tell this old humble merchant is going on?"

Bryce Cousland, lord of Highever. One of the two most powerful nobles of Ferelden save for the crown itself. One the two remaining teyrns next to Loghain Mac Tir, and like his fellow teyrn he had fought against Orlesian Empire and drove them out, freeing Ferelden thirty years ago.

"That is not really the question you wish to ask Master Ignacio." Bryce cocked his head as his brow rose; "You have always spoken your mind old friend. Ask your real question."

The old merchant leaned towards his friend; "Are the events in Ostagar the reason you're coming to Denerim and purchasing so much weapons and armors? Never mind the medicine, preserved food, this does raise questions old friend."

"You will find no better goods than here in the capital of Ferelden. The trade here is even better than in my lands. Plus I had some other businesses in Denerim that required my direct attention." Master Ignacio gave knowing look seeing how Bryce was going around his question; "It is better to prepare for the worst is it not?"

A chuckle gave from the Antivan merchant; "Very true. Though let us hope Maker willing, it is not what we fear it to be."

Bryce motioned his men to start carrying the supplies towards their carts that were currently waiting in the main street, his entourage of Highever knights followed him closely to make sure nothing ill would fall upon their teyrn. After giving his farewell to Ignacio, the lord of Highever began making his way back to the rest of his entourage, his business in Denerim concluded.

Not too long ago he had met with the queen in order to discuss backup plans in case the situation at Ostagar worsened, how to keep the supply lines safe, the number of soldiers from the reserves to be mobilized, where to deploy them, set up strategic positions to keep the Darkspawn horde at bay.

Maker above, the Darkspawn... Bryce honestly never thought he'd live to see a Blight, much less one occurring right on his homeland.

Ferelden had already seen plenty of bloodshed; it was only thirty years ago that they were fighting against the Orlesian emperor and his troops. But this was not a war against tyranny or oppression, but against annihilation. The Darkspawn wanted no lands, no riches, they existed only to spread their malice and destroy everything in their path.

With some fortune, this 'horde' would not be more than a sudden rise in Darkspawn activity; they were known to sometimes come out of the Deep Roads to go on raiding parties. Yet the numbers sighted so far were much more than a mere raiding force...

Still, Bryce kept some hope this was not a Blight at all, the one deciding factor had not been sighted yet. So long as the Arch-Demon did not present itself, he was confident his nation could end this situation before it escalated and reached the rest of their lands.

The head of the Cousland family kept his thoughts private as he mounted his horse along with his entourage, leaving Denerim and making their way back home. He was eager to spend more time with his family before setting out to serve alongside the king.

"Fair skies my lord," one of his knights in silverite plate armor muttered on horseback. "I'll be happy returning home."

Bryce chuckled as they moved through the Imperial Highway for Highever; "I feel the same Ser Ector, it will be comforting being back at the castle."

"And these supplies going unnoticed by unwanted attention," Another knight remarked as he steered the large wagon. They were at least a good several miles away from the capital and sight from the guards, away from safety.

The teyrn and his guard took notice of a group of individuals approaching them.

"Well I'll be Andraste's sweet nickers! Teyrn Bryce Cousland! Look here lads; we got one of the biggest nobles to greet us!"

His blue eyes narrowed as Bryce and his entourage came to a stop at the sight of a least a dozen men adorned in either rough leathers or worn armor. All held a weapon in hand, and vicious predatory smirks graced their lips save one in particular who had the teyrn's and his knights' attention.

In the middle of these men was a giant ash skinned man with an imposing physique who wore minor hard leathers from the waist up. His massive arms were crossed in front of his chest, as his cold purple eyes stared with no discernible feeling. Two horns adorned his head while his white hair glided in the breeze.

"A qunari," Ser Ector was already off his horse and stood in front of his lord.

Long years of experience were already sounding off every alarm in his head, these men were bandits, and they weren't even trying to hide their intentions. But Bryce was a seasoned warrior who faced many dangers throughout his life, bandits who barely knew how to hold a weapon were not even the among the top ten greatest trials he gone through in a long military career.

He kept a stern expression on his face as he dismounted, keeping his sword arm ready to act at a moment's notice. For the moment he played along; "Can I help you, gentlemen?"

The lead bandit, a balding man who was missing several teeth, grinned at him; "Oh you already know what we want, _lord Cousland_ " He said mockingly.

"If it is gold you want I'm afraid you'll be disappointed, for I carry little with me now. If it is the supplies, I cannot let you claim them. And if it is my life you want, well" His narrowed gaze managed to make some of the bandits hesitate and take a step back. Cowards, the lot of them. Though he'd be lying if he said the towering qunari who remained impassive throughout the whole thing did not unnerve him. "You won't be leaving with yours"

"Yes, well, we're at an impasse then" The bandit leader shrugged. "A Teyrn's ransom is the next best thing after a king's" He lazily waved forward. "Get him"

The bandits charged forward, bellowing savage battle cries as Bryce and his knights drew their weapons and met them in battle, the wagon drivers tried to take refuge by hiding in between the supplies, but the bandits ignored them in favor of dispatching the knights first. Their objective was the teyrn.

Though the bandits were more numerous, Bryce's soldiers were experienced warriors who wielded armor and weapons of much greater quality; in a show of valor and loyalty they fought to defend their lord. Bryce himself had engaged in combat against three bandits at one, these thieves and murderers were nothing compared the Chevaliers of the Orlesian Empire.

He parried away the blade of a bandit woman and swiftly slashed at her stomach, his sword cutting through the leather easily and into the flesh, she fell to the ground with a pained cry. Another bandit charged at him screaming like a maniac, swinging two axes wildly, Bryce almost felt insulted at the display of crude untrained skill. Stepping to the side as the bandit swung one of his axes, the weight of his missed swing caused him to lose his balance, leaving him wide open for Bryce to stab his blade through his back.

Bryce soon found himself staring down at the bandit leader, the balding man merely smirked that tooth-missing smile of his, he opened his mouth and shouted; "Saar!"

The qunari went straight for him, and for a moment Bryce felt he was being charged at by an angry bull. He tried to swing at the large horned man, but his blade was swatted away from his grasp by a massive greatsword that was nearly as tall as he was. The ox man punched him, driving him to the ground, and Bryce felt the world around him become blurry. Everything slowed down as he fell to the ground.

He could dimly hear the sounds of battle, the battle cries and weapons clashing.

"My lord!" Sir Ector's voice rang out, he briefly entered his vision before the qunari struck, and he fell to the ground with a cry as blood seeped from the side of his stomach.

The qunari loomed over the teyrn threateningly.

"Grab him you big oaf!" The bandit commanded. "We need to leave now before-!"

His words died in his throat when a blade pierced it. His face twitched in agony as life-giving blood poured forth, his eyes rolled back. Once the blade pulled back, his body fell lifelessly to the ground.

The sudden death of their leaders stopped the battle, bandits turned in shock to the figure standing before his corpse. Dressed in a mixture of leather with various pieces of plate, a hood hiding most of the newcomer's features. All that could be seen was the lithe and lovely face of a woman.

Her ruby red lips turned to a smile that was both seductive and savage; "Well boys and girls are we going to stand here all day or get some killing done?" She pointed her strange partially curved single edged sword at the bandits; "Dragonbane has been aching for a fight!"

The bandits closest to her charged, no doubt believing that killing the one who had fell their leader would earn them prestige to become the next one in charge.

The woman still smiled. And then it was carnage.

Bryce had... never seen anyone move so fast and so fiercely. The stance in which she held that odd curved single edged blade allowed her to move with such fluidity and swiftness she nearly danced in between her foes. One single slash of that lightning wreathed edge was enough to instantly kill them.

The blood that sprayed followed the sword's movement in arcs; the blade cut the air with each audible swing before cleaving through flesh and bone, cutting through the armor as if this were paper. Limbs flew and fell in such quick succession the bandits barely had time to scream in pain before their lives were cut down as well.

The speed, the elegance, and the sheer unrelenting deadliness of that swordplay... it was as beautiful as it was frightening.

Such foreign style was an hypnotizing sight. The prowess displayed by the stranger was the stuff of poems and legends, the kind he always believed to be mere exaggerations.

The bandits that had charged at the woman with such fervor were now running away in terror, forgetting about the teyrn and his knights entirely. Their greed had been replaced with thoughts of survival, all the money in the world meant nothing if they were to fall against this... this monstrous creature that seemed to revel in the battlefield.

Indeed, all the while Bryce couldn't help but notice, even amidst the bloodbath, how the woman did not stop smiling.

The lucky ones managed to run back to the wilderness, yet a handful of them were not fast enough to escape the woman's reach. She would take as many lives as she could; those that were too far away were simply ignored, as though chasing them was simply too much bother by that point.

Then the qunari snarled, catching her attention. His massive greatsword sung once, twice, in curving arcs yet she dodged each time, almost mocking him when she dodged one strike by crouching beneath an horizontal swing. The qunari, previously uncaring of his gang's activities, was now livid. Overcome with battle lust at the thought of a worthy opponent.

The woman kept smiling, and sheathed her sword. Bryce almost thought she actually considered taking on the qunari without any weapon, but he noticed her hand was still on the handle.

The qunari kicked the ground, mimicking the actions of a bull, and charged with his sword raised high. He brought it down upon the woman.

Her sword came out so fast out of its sheath that Bryce could barely follow the attack, as if pulling it out lead to a much faster move than swinging it normally would have allowed.

The qunari stumbled; his steps became clumsy as blood flowed from his chest, his eyes growing dazed. The woman cleaned the blood on her sword with a swing and slowly guarded her blade once more. The qunari fell to the ground almost in unison with the blade's hilt clicking against the sheath.

"Now that got the blood flowing," The woman shivered as she looked back over at the fallen Qunari curiously; "Well that is an interesting looking fellow. Hmm."

A pained grunt got everyone's attention at Bryce was quickly by Ser Ector's side; "The wound is deep."

The veteran knight chuckled as he waved if off; "Minor scratch my lord."

"If that is a minor scratch, then I'm high queen of Skyrim," Eyes dart forward as the hooded woman walked over and knelt down beside Ser Ector and Bryce while the rest of the knights eyed her with caution.

She pulled back her hood revealing beautiful pale face with blue eyes more vibrant that than any one of them had ever seen with long raven colored locks, her pointy her elven ears were free for all to see. That made a few blink, they had never seen an elf that was tall as a human woman.

The woman kept her gaze on the wound before reaching to her satchel on her belt. She pulled out a glass bottle with a round top. "It's bitter but it will heal you." She reached to hand the potion over to the knight.

The knight hesitated for a moment, sharing a brief look with his lord. Bryce had no reason to mistrust the woman who had jumped to their aid without question, and doubted she would resort to any kind of trickery now. Giving his approval, Bryce nodded at sir Ector; he'd rather not lose any of his soldiers today.

Ector reached with shaky hands to the bottle, Bryce assisted him in getting the potion to his lips. The knight nearly gagged when the liquid touched his tongue, so the elven woman held his nose and sternly said; "Swallow" Like one would to a sick child when he wouldn't take his medicine. Maker knows he had experience in that field.

Ector wasted no time in getting it over with, letting out a disgusted gasp once the liquid passed down his throat. He began breathing more easily as everyone saw before their very eyes the wound closing. That was one powerful healing potion. Within moments, the wound was no more, and Ser Ector stood up with the aid of his fellow knights.

"My thanks to you, my lady" The knight said in gratitude.

"Mine as well" Bryce added with sincerity. "I don't know what would have happened had you not interfered" He most likely would be spending his time on some dark cave that smelled of death while the bandits ransomed for his safety to his family.

The elven woman stood up and gave the noble a short bow. "It was my pleasure" She said smiling. "Goodbye" And turned around to leave.

The action drew quite a few raised eyebrows. "W-Wait" Bryce held up his hand as he walked up towards her. "You just joined a fight you had no stake in, saved me and my men, and now you're just going to... leave? Just like that?"

The elf paused as she stared at the ground pondering for a second; "Well... yes, that is usually how these things go for me"

What did that mean, that this kind of situation was a common occurrence to her?

The Cousland shook his head. "Can I ask for your name?"

"Miara Redoran." The elven woman tilted her head, curiosity glowed in her eyes; "May I know your name good sir?"

"My name is Bryce Cousland."

She gave a short bow once more; clearly the name did not invoke any reaction from her. "Well met"

"Are you not from Ferelden my lady? This is the Teyrn of Highever," The wagon rider rebutted as he returned to his seat.

A mirthful smirk came from Miara; "I figured my height would give me away. Teyrn," She spoke the work a few times making certain she spoke it right. "For your first question, No. I am not from Ferelden. And before you ask, I am not from Thedas itself. I am a traveling adventurer, from a land called Tamriel."

"Tamriel?" The teyrn repeated the unfamiliar name of said land. This woman became a greater mystery by the moment. To hear she was from some foreign land was a touch dubious, and raised quite a few questions in his head. But, she had saved them so he was in her debt. And Bryce Cousland always paid back in kind. "As a sign of gratitude, I would like to invite you to stay in Highever as my honored guest, if it pleases you my lady"

The elven woman seemed to consider it for a moment. Seldom would any sane person reject the invitation from a noble, or think about it for more than a second when it came to one of the Teyrns. But the woman was actually giving it thought as though weighting her options, more petty men would consider it an insult. Bryce merely waited for response patiently whatever that may be.

Finally, elf called Miara nodded in reply; "I would be honored, Lord Cousland"

"Terrific" He smile. "You may ride with me" He offered, seeing no mount of her own.

"It's okay, I brought my own horse" She whistled a few times, and the sounds of a galloping horse approached. Bryce and his men had to blink a few times, though there were far stranger mounts in other parts of Thedas; this horse was still a peculiar sight. Black as the night with eyes so red they nearly blazed with light. It was a rather intimidating creature...

"Oh my" Bryce muttered as Miara fondly pet the mount. "Is that type of horse common in Tamriel?"

She laughed softly in reply. "Shadowmere is... one of a kind" She said before saddling up and turning to the human noble. "Lead the way my lord"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Thankfully no further skirmishes occurred as the teyrn, his knights, and Miara made their way to The Coastland and Highever on the Imperial Highway. Along their journey Miara took in the vast beauty that was Ferelden. Dense forests that stretched for miles, lush grasslands, lakes and rivers of varying sizes, Mountain ranges off in the distance. It reminded her of the heartland of Cyrodiil.

All the while as she took in the sights, curiosity came in the form of questions from the Teyrn and the elven women herself. The knights had listened who one or two asking their questions which Miara answered back. Though she did held back a few snickers upon the sight of the knights and nobleman's reactions to Khajiit and Argonians. As well as her longtime friendship with a certain anthropomorphic feline.

"Surprised you did not bring this 'Kharjo'," Ser Ector said the name quietly hoping he was saying it right; "Along with you."

Miara leaned her head back to glance at the knight; "And how would the people of Ferelden have acted seeing a Beast man?"

It was Bryce who spoke up; "Likely panicked before getting an explanation."

"Why I did not risk bringing Kharjo with me. Best they learn of my lands in small doses."

"And your children and Lady Serana?" A knight asked.

The Dragonborn chuckled; "My children are grown adults who more than capable in protecting themselves and Serana is my equal in combat. Besides, wanderlust runs strong in all of us. We had traveled all over Tamriel."

"Which is ruled by the Empire based in Cyrodiil?" The Teyrn would be lying if he was not curious of this Empire than anything else.

Miara could see the types of thoughts running through the man's head by looking into his eyes. Fascination, interest, along with wariness and caution. Bryce Cousland seemed to be a man devoted to his nation; Miara did not doubt the news of a foreign power from beyond the sea was in a way alarming to him. But he also seemed to be an open minded man, while the knights clearly did not believe her when she spoke of the argonians and khajiits, believing to be mere fabrications; the noble actually seemed to believe her words. He would not cast judgement so quickly on mere worries on his part.

"The empire's history is long and rather tedious to be honest" Miara offhandedly said. "If you want to know more I'm happy to share what I know. I for myself am deeply curious about your land" She still needed to know more about the situation in Ferelden, how the country operated, its history, and their coming war with the 'Darkspawn'.

"I'd be most delighted to tell you about my home" The teyrn said pleasantly. "I myself have lived through moments that shaped our current history"

"Indeed?"

"Lord Cousland is being modest" Ser Ector said with a smile. "When the Orlesian Empire enslaved us, he was one of the brave children of Ferelden who fought for our honor"

"Truly?" That was certainly impressive; Miara knew a thing or two about taking part in the making of history after all. It was not an easy feat to come out alive. "My, so you are war hero then" So far the teyrn presented himself as polite and kind to others even if they weren't of the same station, which rose her approval of him by several notches. To hear about his exploits in the defense of his nations added to that.

Bryce laughed softly; "Exaggerations I assure you, there were others who did far more than me"

And humble to boot, these kinds of nobles were rare. Miara soon found herself comparing this man with Balgruuf the Greater.

"Ah" The teyrn smiled joyfully as he stared at the distance. "We're nearing home"

'Home' being a city, not as massive as Denerim perhaps, but large all the same. High walls that protected its limits prevented her from seeing farther into it. Thought she could see a few the rooftops of a few buildings peeking over the walls, along with the smoke that came from chimneys.

They approached the iron gates, which soon were lifted to let them enter. Soldiers in mail and plate saluted their lord, nearby peasants stopped their activities momentarily to bow shortly and greet the teyrn with proper respect. The human noble did not ignore their greetings, merely smiling at those whom he passed by and nodded in return; by the smiles on these people's faces it was clear that Bryce had their loyalty, from humans and elves alike. No doubt fostered by the righteous rule of his family.

Looking at the city, Highever reminded Miara of Denerim, the cultural style of the human civilization here did not seem to vary much locally. The types of buildings were mostly the same, the roads were well paved, businesses bustled with activity, and at first glance it looked like Bryce's people did not lack much.

A whistle came from the Dragonborn as Castle Cousland came into view. A truly massive building made from white stone, she could tell this place was old, centuries old, but well cared for. "This place is bigger than the royal castle in Denerim," Miara spoke absently.

"The Cousland family is the oldest in Ferelden my lady." Ser Ector smiled as they passed through the three open arches of the castle. "Dates back to Sarim Cousland in the Tower Age."

Miara's brow rose as Bryce and the others came to a stop and unmounted from their horses. The elf followed suit as several servants, both human and elves came over. "See the horses are tended to and the supplies stored where needed," Bryce spoke in a calm tone as the servants nodded. She did notice the elven servants were giving her surprised glances.

He soon gave a wordless nod to his knights as they bowed in return and dispersed save for Ser Ector. With a gesture from the teyrn she followed both him and the knight to the main double wooden doors. Well crafted, thick and sturdy, she was impressed by the craftsmanship.

As they entered the castle, Bryce leads her through the main halls. Castle Cousland reminded her of some of the finest fortresses she had seen in her long life. With a multitude of rooms, various decorations of paintings (most likely the members of their family) and armors set on display, with soldiers standing guard at certain locations. The servants did a good job in maintaining this place.

"I will arrange for a room shortly" The teyrn informed. "But first, I would like you to meet my family"

Miara was curious about his family if she was honest, wondering if they were like him.

They entered into what appeared to be the main hall, a wide room with a rather large fireplace at the end. In Tamriel, rooms like this were usually reserved to meet with guests, discuss various matters of political importance, as well as to issue commands to the guard when summoned by their lord.

Standing by the fire place was a finely dressed woman who was clearly in her middle years, with her graying hair was done in braided buns, yet possessed a fiery spark of energy still present in her eyes. Her lips twisted into a loving smile as she spotted Bryce, which the man returned with his own.

"It was about time you arrived" She spoke teasingly as she approached them.

Bryce chuckled as he gently took her hands and planted a tender kiss on her cheek. "I'm sorry my dear, there were... complications"

"Complications?"

"The bandit kind"

That got a reaction from the woman, one of worry and fright. "Maker, are you alright? What about your entourage?"

"I'm fine my love, everyone is" He placated her before turning to the elf. "This woman here is the reason why. Miara Redoran, I would like to introduce you to my wife, Eleanor. Eleanor, this is Miara Redoran. She fought off the bandits and even saved Ser Ector's life"

Said knight gave the matriarch of the family a respectful bow; "She is quite the remarkable warrior my lady."

Miara saw Eleanor's eyes come to her, both assessing her and taking in her appearance. "You have my gratitude for keeping my husband safe and saving Ser Ector's life. He has been a good friend to our family."

"It was noting my lady," The elf gave a respectful bow.

"Forgive me, but you're different than most elves I've seen."

At that Bryce chuckled with mirth; "She has quite a story. I'll let her explain once we summon the rest of the family." He looked to human servant who came over upon beckoning; "Please tell my sons and Oriana to come to main hall. Bring Oren along as well"

"Yes my lord."

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

The wait was barely ten minutes long as the Dragonborn took notice of the rest of the Cousland family as they were introduced. Fergus Cousland, who bore a great resemblance to his father, save a full well kept beard, short dark brunette hair, he dressed in simple but regal shirt and leather pants with boots. At his side was his wife Oriana, a red haired young woman in a practical but fine dress with young boy that was their son, Oren. The boy looked much like his father but with his mother hair and eyes.

And finally the youngest son Marcus Cousland. About the same height as his brother, but as Eleanor explained looked like his late grandfather William Cousland. Shoulder length brunette hair in low ponytail with a well-trimmed goatee, and strong sapphire eyes that matched her darling Sofie's. At his side was a massive muscular hound with light brown short fur.

The hound must be one of the famous 'mabari' she heard so much about. Honestly she barely could go anywhere in this country without hearing about the dogs, Ferelden sure loved their canine companions apparently. And the mabari had a quite a history, she didn't know the full details but these hounds were very smart, enough to properly understand their two-legged companions even.

The hound, Loke as he was called, tilted his head as he stared at her. Assessing her in his own way. Miara smiled fondly at the animal, waving slightly. The hound chuffed good naturally at her. Miara always had an affinity for animal companions; they were much less troublesome than people sometimes.

Miara knelt as the mabari walked up to her, her hand ruffled his head playfully as she cooed. "You like that don't you, yes you do~" Loke leaned into her caresses, finding himself quickly defeated by the elf's fingers that found all the spots he himself couldn't scratch properly. He accepted his surrender to her display of affection by dropping to the floor and rolling on his back, his hind paw kicked the air as the elf assaulted his belly. "Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy~?"

The Cousland family was honestly taken aback by the display. For Loke to openly act so trustful for a stranger was a rare sight. "Well" The youngest Marcus smiled mirthfully at the sight. "Seems Loke likes her" If there was any doubt on his mind about the stranger it vanished completely.

Well, that and saving his father and their soldiers. But getting Loke to like her? That was another type of accomplishment in and of itself.

A giggle came from Miara as she kept petting Loke, "Always had a fondness for animals. I had two dogs myself." She looked up to the family; "As said I have bit of tale to tell about myself and my lands. Care to listen?"

And so they all sat by the fire as the Dragonborn spoke of herself, her family, and her home of Tamriel and its diverse people. Though she tried and failed miserably not to laugh at little Oren asking about the Khajiit and Argonians while mispronouncing the names so cutely.

She spoke of the Empire which she noticed got the adults a touch apprehensive. Miara could safely assume whoever the Orlesians are they did not leave quite a very good impression on Ferelden.

"It is odd that your family just wandered off on their own" Eleanor commented. Though perhaps given her own history she was not one to criticize.

"Oh I'm sure my children are alright. We wanted to see more of this land, and thought we could learn more by splitting up" Miara said as she idly scratched Loke's ears. "My Oryrn and Sofie are born warriors, and I trust Sarya to talk her way out of any situation" Okay, that was an outright lie. If anything, Sarya's mouth would get her into more trouble. But it was better not to say what her daughter's skills were exactly. "She's a scholar you see, so very eager to learn more of these lands"

"Should have brought her here with you" Fergus said amicably. "Master Aldous would have talked her ear off; at last the old man would have someone who'd listen to him instead of falling asleep"

His mother looked disapprovingly at him. "Well, I'm glad to see you value our tutor and historian's efforts so much"

"Oh I value his efforts a lot; Oren sleeps like a log on whenever he speaks"

The child's high pitched voice chimed in. "He's always talking about boring stuff, I tell him to tell me stories about knights and dragons but he doesn't want to"

Bryce smiled amused at his grandson. "Not everything is fairy tales Oren; Aldous teaches you very important things"

Marcus ruffled his nephew's head. "Ask him to tell you about the Grey Wardens next time, you'll learn and hear about warriors" He leaned in to whisper conspiratorially, "And griffons" Much to his excitement.

Miara raised an eyebrow at that. They had griffons in these lands as well? Interesting.

"In fact" Bryce said, "that sounds like a wonderful idea. Lady Miara-" He turned to face her, but she interrupted him before he could continue.

"Just Miara, I'm not that much into that 'lady' business" She rather liked this man, so she wanted fewer formalities between them.

"Miara" He conceded with a nod. "Due to certain... developments going on in the south, you could benefit from Aldous' lesson on the Darkspawn"

There it was that word again. Miara frowned in thought; "I've read something about those monsters in Denerim, and heard about a campaign being waged in the south to fight them. Not exactly the sort of things that goes unnoticed"

"Well, I don't know much of the Darkspawn myself, aside from what the chantry says" The lord of the Cousland house admitted. "But fortunately the Grey Wardens have responded to our call, they're an ancient order of warriors dedicated to fighting the creatures"

"Are these Wardens effective warriors?"

"From the tales, it appears so" It was Marcus who answered. "One often hears they fight with much greater intensity and endurance than any regular person. Not to mention they have centuries of experience in fighting the Darkspawn, their aid will be invaluable"

"I even had the privilege of speaking with the Warden-Commander of Ferelden recently" Bryce said. "Duncan is currently looking for recruits in Denerim. He said he had originally planned to come here in search of other warriors, but the Darkspawn amassing in the south won't give him enough time. After that, I'm not sure where he'll head to look for more recruits"

"Could be the Circle" Fergus proposed. "The senior mages have been given permission by the Chantry to mobilize against the Darkspawn" Which honestly, was an indication of how bad things were getting, a realization that somber the mood of the Couslands.

All but little Oren's, who looked ecstatic at his grandfather, "You saw a Warden Grandpa, did he have a griffon?"

"No Oren" Oriana chuckled at her son's childish naivety. "Griffons are extinct. They're all gone"

Miara's eyes widened at that. "They are?"

"Unfortunately" Marcus explained, "The last griffons died out in the Fourth Blight, four centuries ago"

"Well, that is..." The dunmer in disguise was honestly at a loss of words. "That... sucks" Not very eloquent, but conveyed her feelings well. "I don't know how the elves of Summerset would take it if their griffons were to suddenly die off" She mused to herself.

THAT little tidbit did not go unnoticed by the Couslands, who shared confused looks among each other. "I'm..." Eleanor stammered. "I'm sorry. You made it sound like Tamriel has-"

"Griffons yes" Miara quickly confirmed. "The order of the Welkynar Gryphon Knights ride them into battle"

One could hear a pin drop into the room.

Marcus summed up what everyone was feeling with a single word. "What"

Miara did not really fight the growing smirk forming on her lips; "Tamriel has griffons. Mainly in Summerset. But some wander to other provinces."

At that Oren was nearly bouncing on his mother's lap; "Griffons are real!"

Bryce glanced to his oldest son; "Wonder how the Wardens would react to that?" He looked back to Miara; "Would those elves, Altmer yes? Would they-"

"Give a brood to your Wardens?" Miara thought for a moment; "The Altmer are a very strict people. With a lot of rules. Your Wardens would have to speak with them." She could see the Teyrn was thinking heavily on the subject. The elf soon drew her attention to Fergus and Marcus; "So what do you strapping, handsome young lads do?"

"Fearless hardened warriors," Fergus smirked while his wife snorted and gave her a look; "What?"

"Oh you're fearless my love, expect around rats."

"They bring only disease and famine!" The eldest son let out a sudden outburst, much to the amusement of his family who laughed out loud at his passionate proclamation. "Don't even get me started on their tails! Huff!" He shuddered at the thought.

"Don't worry brother" Marcus said in between bouts of laughter. "Loke here will protect you; he's a professional rat hunter. Much better than a cat"

"Indeed" The elder brother let go of his previous outburst to look fondly at the family pet. "You keep this family safe, don't you boy?"

Loke barked dutifully in reply, going over little Oren to lick his face and play with the young lad. They were soon joined by his father, all the while Bryce and Eleanor looked fondly at the scene, along with Oriana and Marcus.

Miara smiled to herself, finding the moment arouse memories from her own family. From what she had seen of the Couslands so far, they seemed to be good people.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

"I have to say, this place is well cared for," Miara spoke in idle as she walked beside Marcus through one of the large halls of the castle. Loke being at the Elven woman's side as her hand rested on the large hound's head.

The youngest son of Bryce and Eleanor was still astonished how taken his faithful Mabari was to this foreigner from an unknown land. "At lot of hard work and a lot of care. Least is what my father says."

The dragonborn inspected the paintings and furnishings spread through the hall. It reminded her a bit of both the Blue Palace and Dragon's Reach, being both majestic and surprisingly homey at the same time. It had to be of the current family residing within these walls.

"So..." Miara cocked her head to Marcus; "What do I get to see around you castle 'my lord'?" She giggled watching the young man roll his eyes.

"Just Marcus. You can look around throughout the castle and the village."

"Marcus!" A melodic soft spoken behind them. The hidden elf saw recognition from the young noble as his eyes seem to shine brighter shifting around with a smile form on his lip. Loke also barked happily as he turned with his master. Miara followed both turning her head to see who spoke.

The newcomer was an elf, with sandy blonde braided hair and soft blue eyes. Her attire was actually very well made and she even wore some pieces of jewelry. The only time Miara had seen an elf dressing in such a well-to-do manner was when she spied on the queen and her elven handmaiden. Considering the attitude towards elves in these lands, she imagined such was the case for the woman in front of them.

More surprising was to see Marcus walk up to the woman and embrace her, the two sharing a tender kiss. Well, Miara was certain in these lands such a thing done between a human noble of great standing and an elven woman would be among the epitome of scandal. But clearly young Marcus did not care for that in the least.

There was honest affection in their eyes and the loving smiles they gave each other's. Whatever they felt for each other was genuine.

Loke barked and ran up to the blonde elf, who reached down to pat his head gently.

"I thought you'd be arriving later"

"Lady Landra managed to arrange the carriage to take us to Highever early"

Before Marcus could query on 'us' a small weight hugged at his waist. Miara saw a more paternal expression from the young man as she saw a little elven girl, no older than ten, wearing a simple but elegant white and maroon dress with her brunette hair in pigtails. Her little face looked much like the older woman's save having brown eyes.

Marcus picked up the child as she beamed; "And how is my little princess today?" Marcus spoke in a fatherly tone as the child wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly for which he returned.

Miara felt light pang in her heart as she missed her own kids being that small. She shook off the reminiscing as she lightly cleared her throat making the trio glance to her. "Well one thing I can say, you Couslands settle down quick, already having kids." She giggled at the sight of the elven woman blushing as a faint tint came to Marcus' cheeks as well.

The young Cousland shook his head before speaking; "Iona, Amethyne. This is Miara Redoran of Tamriel. Miara, this my betrothed Iona and her daughter Amethyne."

Amethyne was rather shy in Marcus' arms but also as curious as her mother as they looked wide eyed at the foreign elven woman.

"Um, it's a pleasure my lady" Iona had no idea what this 'Tamriel' was, but the elf in front of her was as tall as a human. That alone warranted attention.

"The pleasure is mine" Miara said as she approached the child; "Hello there darling"

"Hello" The child greeted back.

The dunmer in disguise smiled at her. "I love your pigtails"

"Thank you, I like your hair"

Miara giggled in return, ahhh children were just the sweetest things. Looking carefully at the girl she could tell Marcus was not the father, but loved the girl as much as a true father would. These Couslands just kept surprising her, and in a good way she could say.

"She is a guest of father" Marcus informed the blonde elf. "She has... quite the tales"

Iona chuckled as she shook her head. "Now why do I feel that's an understatement?"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

The four plus faithful war hound roamed through Castle Cousland with Miara getting to learn quite a bit about Iona and Amethyne. Apparently the lady-in-waiting and young noble met a year or two prior at this Lady Landra's formal party and became close ever since.

Iona and her daughter came from Denerim alienage originally. Though when her first husband, Amethyne's father died, Lady Landra took mother and daughter into her home where the young mother has been working for the noble woman for many years.

Miara was glad to hear this Landra sounded like a good person. Though by Marcus' tone this lady noble was rather quite partial to alcohol. This prompted Iona to lightly smack her lover's arm and chided him. The hidden dark elf chuckled.

As Marcus told her, the two had met during one of the many visits from Lady Landra. A few passing glances and flirtatious comments began evolving into more frequent meetings whenever they saw each other again. From there they began getting to know each other better, learning more about their respective lives, to actually becoming involved with each other's families. Marcus with Amethyne and Iona with the Couslands, whom became quite taken with the elven handmaiden and her daughter.

Somewhere along the line, a marriage proposal became the next step.

It was a nice yet simple story about how the two got together. A touch too simple perhaps. But maybe Miara had gotten too used to the outlandish stories from her own experiences. How she met Serana certainly was not something one could mention in a casual conversation...

They neared what Marcus said was the library, where the scholar Aldous resided. Feeling like the extra wheel to their carriage, Miara bid them farewell for the moment as they took their separate ways. Inside she saw an older looking man with robes organizing a few books, she coughed an introduced herself.

"Ahhh so you're the guest I've been hearing about" The bearded human mused with curiosity. "One claiming to come from lands beyond the sea right? Fascinating..."

"I'm sure the history of Thedas too is very fascinating as well" Miara said with a cordial smile. "I was hoping to learn about a these lands. And of the Cousland family if you have the time" It's only be the respectful thing to do, seeing she was their guest she could stand to familiarize herself with their legacy.

By the look on his face, Aldous was quite eager for an actual interested audience.

It was a very interesting story; the rise of the Tevinter Imperium, the fall of the Arlathan elves, the Darkspawn, their conquest of Thedas, and the uprising by Andraste, the Bride of the Maker. Ferelden itself was a country that had only 'recently' began to modernize, having been split in various smaller territories under the power of lords, and unified by heroic first king Calenhad. The Couslands had a history dating back to the third age of the Thedosian Calendar, dating even before the unification of Ferelden.

Theirs was truly an accomplish line, through their ups and downs they have participated in making the history of their country. Ranging from standing up against the tyrannical rule of Orlais, to help combat the werewolf hordes that rose up in their lands during the fourth age.

Hircine must have been up to his antics around that time...

But there was another issue that plagued Miara's mind, one that perhaps the scholar had been avoiding.

"What happened to the elves?"

That had gotten the elderly sage to stiffen up. If his facial expressions weren't already a dead giveaway to her. She leaned over the table they sat resting her hand on his; "Aldous. I'll say this now. I will bear no ill to you or anyone currently living. If I get angry, it will be those in the past. There no purpose or sense to hate those who were not even born in that age"

Aldous looked at the elven woman for a good minute before he let out a long wary breathe. "In all honesty the records of those times are muddled at best. So I can't say for certain which is truth or not. But I will explain what I know."

And so the elderly man spoke of his knowledge of the elves of Thedas. From their gods to what history he had learned in his long life. From the mythic Arlathan to the Dales he explained of what he found and heard from other fellow scholars, Chantry historians, and finally elves willing to speak with him.

Miara's face remained unreadable save for small twitches here and there from the elf's fingers or eyes. She leaned back on her chair as she ran her hands over her face.

It was always the same story. Humans against elves. The races just couldn't stop themselves from one hurting the other.

The Snow Elves and the Nords, over a fucking magical orb.

The Ayleids and the Nedes, because the wild elves were tremendously cruel as the records went. Not even the survivors who sided with the humans were spared in the end.

The Alessian Order, who in their arrogance and hate tried to destroy everything elven, even a side of Akatosh.

The Thalmor, who had set out to wipe out humanity from the face of Nirn.

This eternal conflict with no end in sight. It was part of the reason she helped reforged the empire, to ensure they could break this pointless cycle of Enantiomorphism surrounding men and mer. Peace between the races was not an impossible goal, she had met too many people and seen so many instances of cooperation that proved her belief was right.

Tamriel was still a work in progress. And now the lands of Thedas...

Miara wondered if she'd someday see true peace between elven kind and the races of man.

And to hear every large enough settlement in Thedas with elves had alienages, the tumultuous relationship between the human kingdoms and the dalish clans...

The Dragonborn sighed, for every victory one achieved you lived to see ten more defeats.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Miara's breath flowed evenly as she slept quite peacefully in the room given to her. While not as large as her bed chamber of Severin Manor, it was still quite spacious and well-furnished with a couch, bookshelves, a studies desk, and even a table with chairs. All in all very fancy for a guest's room, oh she knew Serana would be so mad she was not also enjoying this luxury of hospitality.

So would Kharjo now thinking about it.

A soft groan came from the dark elf as morning sunlight slowly shined upon her. "Do you want me to use a damn bloodcursed arrow on you?" She muttered irritably as she opened her crimson eyes and sat up with her blankets crumbled downwards revealing her grey naked upper torso. She glanced at herself at the mirror attached to a well-crafted dresser. She snorted seeing how unruly her hair looked like always every morning.

She stretched her arms upwards as shifted her skin tone back to her guise. "A hot bath, breakfast and speak with Bryce..."

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

The Teyrn was of course a touch surprised at the request of her visiting the Highever alienage, but allowed it all the same. So Miara took to the streets of the city by herself, familiarizing herself more with the layout of the city. Highever was a prosperous place, with plentiful commerce, and the amount of beggars on the street she'd seen were fortunately at a very low number. Universal satisfaction was impossible after all, it was sad but true.

Speaking of prosperity, her reaction at seeing their alienage was one of pleasant surprise. While still barred in their own section of the city by walls, the alienage itself didn't seem too different from the rest of Highever. It was not a fancy district with ostentatious states where rich and noble folk would live in, but just a regular district. With the same quality of houses that any other peasant in the city would own.

The elves here looked well fed and clothed, it was all just so... normal. A far cry from Denerim where the squalor in which the elves there lived in was enough to piss her off so much she'd feel like shouting someone to the ground.

She wondered if the elves here were more accepted than they were in Denerim.

As if a god heard her silent inquiry, the cry coming near the alienage gates answered her questions. Hurrying to see what the commotion was about, she approached to see an obese human holding a meek elven woman by the arm roughly, at her feet was a fallen basked with bread. The anger in his face was met by the sheer terror in hers.

"You think you can just steal my bread and get away with it?" He snarled at her face.

"P-P-Please sir, I bought this bread! I-I swear!" She desperately pleaded.

"Don't you dare lie to me, you knife ear! I left my bread cooling on my window, I turn around for just a moment and it's gone! And what a coincidence, I see you walking in front of my house with bread! You stole it!"

"B-But this bread isn't even hot!" It was no use, he wasn't listening to logic.

Miara looked around, no guards in sight to defuse the situation. Her hand twitched, but she held herself from actually pulling one of her weapons.

"I'll teach you a lesson you little thief!" He raised his hand to strike her, and the elf cowered in fright.

Miara could not take it anymore. "Hey!" She got his attention. The human only became angrier at the sight of an another elf, one that dared stand up to him even.

He scoffed, "Oh another knife ear, you vermin always stick together eh?"

"Let her go," Miara spoke with firmness and edge in her voice. "She says she did not steal your bread. So let. Her. Go"

He smiled mockingly at her. "Or what?"

It was like the temperature around him dropped by several degrees; he felt a strong weight pressing down on him, making his heart beat faster at the sheer terror he was suddenly feeling. The eyes on that elf, they were... they were not natural. Beyond their blue color it was like there was a smoldering fire waiting to be unleashed. And it just so happened that he was on its path, he had started a fire that would consume him in an instant.

Miara spoke in a very low and barely controlled tone; "Or else you'll force me to do something I'll regret. I'm a guest here, and I don't want to spit on the hospitality given to me... So let her go, and go. AWAY"

The human was sweating coldly at the intensity of her words. He shakily let go of the elf and walked away as fast as his legs would let him.

Once he disappeared from sight, Miara let out a sigh. Her dragon side was a good intimidating tactic; simply projecting the sheer power and need to dominate in her voice would make lesser hearts crumble. She stared at the other elven woman, poor thing was still frightened, both by her near attack at the hands of the humans, and by witnessing her imposing will.

Miara looked at the fallen basked and knelt to pick it up, placing the bread inside it once again. "Are you okay?"

Her now much softer words seemed to snap her out of her stupor. "Y-Yes. Thank you, I... thank you so much" She said in genuine gratitude. "It's not every day you see an elf stand up to a human like that"

"Does this happen often?"

The Highever elf gave her somewhat crestfallen look; "You're new around here aren't you?"

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The elven woman, Thalia as she introduced herself brought Miara to the elder who sat near this alienage's Vhenadahl telling stories to the children and some adults. It went without saying they were surprised to meet a foreign elf who came from an unknown country none have ever heard before.

Elder Kharis along with the growing crowd were in awe of stories from their distant cousin who happily spoke of their diverse people who held their own kingdoms. In kind Kharis spoke of life in Highever, Miara observed every person around her noticing their body language to their eyes.

While life here was not as desolate and despair inducing, hatred and bigotry still came from many towards the elves. Kharis stressed he harbored no grudge towards Lord Bryce and his family. The Couslands had been a godsend for the Elves after their liberation from the Orlesians. But they were only four of them. And changing the hearts and minds to let go of one's hate was no easy task.

Glancing around she could tell not all agreed with the elder's sentiment towards the nobility that resided here. Sadly hate was shared by both sides.

"I'll be staying in Highever for a while. So I will come to visit. Maybe share more tales." Miara smirked and soon giggled as the children around her jumped around in excitement.

Kharis also chuckled at the sight; "I think I speak for everyone we would enjoy that greatly Lethallan."

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After realizing she had spent a few good hours in the alienage, the hidden dunmer wondered about the city and eventually back to the castle. Roaming the halls her ears twitched upon hearing the sound of fighting. Passing through an open door she entered a large opened room with no ceiling with Couslands soldiers were training and sparring.

Among them were Fergus and Marcus, with their father overseeing things from the sidelines, personally training with the guard. Their technique was actually very good, reflecting both experience and years of training. She wondered how they'd perform on the battlefield.

"Ahhh, Miara" Bryce said with a smile as he spotted her. "I hope my city was to your liking"

"It's a very fine city" The elf said as she walked around the sparring ring until she was next to the lord. "You must be proud of it"

"The lands are only as good as the people who rule it, and my family strives to do right by the people under our care" He was not boasting, merely stating the fact that was the responsibility of his lineage. Miara could respect that.

"I've known some nobles who are not as... level headed as you are"

"Please" He snorted in a faux-insulted tone. "I've seen how some 'nobles' behave themselves. How they stuff their faces with food while the peasantry starves"

"You speak from experience I see. Orlais?" Miara knew enough about their history from Aldous to imagine what it must have been.

"Hmph, for all Orlais boasts about being the epitome of culture, the depravity they showed during the occupation of Ferelden would have made the Tevinter Imperium proud" Though his voice was controlled, there was still some traces of anger in it. And Miara understood had lived firsthand through the tyranny of an empire enslaving his people. "True, the empire at the moment has a different leadership with Empress Celene, and I'd rather we keep the peace but... well, their nobility has not changed at all"

A low grunt came from the elven woman understanding quite well due to her own encounters with 'nobility'. Why she hated going to High Rock for the most part. Shifting her eyes she saw Ser Ector performing intense exercises beside a younger man she met the other day with short reddish hair and a single braid. Ser Gilmore seemed to be tutored by the veteran knight by the looks.

And he as actually was proving himself a rather good student as he listened to Ser Ector's words carefully. She turned her sight back Fergus and Marcus who both sparred against the other hard and fast, showing not a single wasted movement.

Miara crossed her arms under her bust; "Mind if I try a go?" That got the attention of the men and few women as they looked her way.

Hearing that Bryce tilted his head; "Well... Given your skills I've seen I'm not against it." He soon shrugged as he looked at the elven woman; "Who would you like to face?"

He saw that predatory smile on her lips once again. "Everyone in this room"

That got the warriors of Highever to look among themselves in concern, "Um, isn't that a touch unfair my lady?" Fergus drawled.

"Hmm, you're right. But the battlefields are seldom ever fair, so you need to learn how to fight when the odds are against you"

"...Did she just insinuate _we_ are the ones at a disadvantage?" One of the female knights muttered to a fellow soldier, who shrugged in response. While others looked annoyed by the woman's boasting.

"Oh alright, as not to bruise your collective egos you can just face me one at the time" The elf took a wooden sword and gave it a spin with her wrist as she walked to the center of sparring ring. Sir Ector, having seen what she was capable of, wisely stepped away.

The young Ser Gilmore was the first to face her. He bowed his head in a show of sportsmanship.

Miara smiled; "Have at it then" She did not even take a stance, choosing to instead rest a hand on her hip as her sword arm lazily stood at the side.

Gilmore did not waste the opportunity and struck, swinging down his training sword... only for the elf to step out of the way in a great show of speed and dexterity, using the flat part of the training sword to hit the back of his knees, making him stumble and fall to the ground with a push of her foot.

The young knight let out a muffled grumble as his face was pressed against the floor; the elf's foot on top of his back prevented him from getting up.

Bryce, Sir Ector, and a few of the soldiers how had seen her fight before were not surprised by the outcome. To the rest, including the lord's sons, they could only gawk at the 'spar' that had lasted an impressive amount of three full seconds.

"Shall we try that again good Ser?"

What followed to no surprise of Bryce and Ector was seeing every Cousland soldier being defeated with barely much effort one by one from the elf for over an hour. However, the surprise of the young and veteran soldiers she did not boast or belittle them as she simply gave an explanation of what she saw from each soldier's skills. Told them where they should improve and strengthen what was already second nature to them.

Soon only Fergus and Marcus remained as Miara pointed her wooden blade at them, still smiling; "So how do you two wish to face me? I'm comfortable either way boys."

The oldest son rubbed the back of his head looking at the felled Cousland soldiers who all sat around the room holding their sore bodies. "How bout we try two on one brother."

Marcus never kept his eyes off Miara's as he gave small nod; "Let's try it." He spun his two wooden swords in his hands.

At that the Dragonborn smiled only grew; "Now that's the spirit! Show me what the line of Cousland can do!"

The Couslands began by flanking her, Fergus' sole wooden sword striking from the left while Marcus swung his practice blades from the right. Miara backed away and dodged, taking a step back each time they struck. The two were very well coordinated; she had to give them that. Certainly a step above their own soldiers, once more she wondered how they would fare in a real battle. She had the feeling they would not disappoint.

The elf spun around as she dodged a downward strike from Fergus, hitting him in the back with the flat side of the wooden sword. Marcus followed up with sweeping strike from his own blades, only for Miara to duck under the blow and close the distance quickly, the youngest Cousland stared in surprised as she grabbed his left other wrist and twisted his arm, forcing him to drop his sword. She was swift to catch it as she stepped back. Letting the brothers catch their breaths as they saw the elf now armed with two practice swords, spinning them much like Marcus had done earlier.

"Had enough?" She asked with a smile.

The Couslands just looked all the more resolute at the challenge and engaged her once more, their strikes were quickly parried and by the elf, keeping them at bay at the same time, moving with such extraordinary speed she was able to counter them one at the moment they struck. Striking Fergus and then moving to Marcus, then rinsing and repeating, she was able to keep her focus on both, countering one and them moving to the other.

It looked like neither of the two would get pass her seemingly flawless defense. So they played the endurance game and tried to wear her down, hoping she would eventually get tired. But it ended up working against them as their stamina dwindled over the course of the spar, their movements becoming more sluggish, less precise. This gave the elf the window of opportunity to move in between them, using both wooden swords to strike at their legs and push, knocking them off their feet and making them fall to the ground.

Both grunted before they froze as the points of the wooden swords were at their throats. "Like I said to your soldiers, I'll say to you two. You're both very well trained with excellent combat senses and awareness. I would love to how you two would handle real battle." She walked past the brothers who both sighed in resignation of their defeat.

A smiling Miara handed over the wooden blades to Ser Ector who only shook his head. "In all my years I've never seen a perfect blend of speed and strength with such finesse."

"It took a lot of years to get where I am. Thankfully being an elf with a generous lifespan comes in handy," Granted she was a bit more complicated but they didn't to know that.

Bryce nodded as his sons got to their feet; "I remember you explained the elves on Tamriel could live for centuries. Save the Orcs?" He hoped he said that right. Maker the concept alone was outrageous, he wasn't sure he believed it.

"Indeed." Miara nodded; "And apparently the elves of Thedas have short lifespans. But as to myself I have nearly seventy years of combat experience in my hundred and thirty years of life." She ignored the cry from the soldiers who yelled out ' _you're a hundred and thirty!_ ' as she kept talking.

"Maker…" Fergus whispered in disbelief. "That is… impressive. You must have learnt a lot with that amount of years"

"I've blended all kinds of martial combat over the years"

A thought occurred to Bryce as he remembered her fighting style against the bandits, using that single edged blade of hers. The design was clearly not from this land.

"Would said styles involve that sword of yours? I've never seen the like"

She patted the handle of her Dragonbane; "This is one of Akavir's style of swords, the katana." Unsheathing the blade she presented it to the people present.

Ser Gilmore sat on a wooden bench beside a few others as he commented; "Frankly my lady how does something that small not break the moment it strikes another blade or armor?"

Ector and Bryce saw a much different smile form on the elf's lips; "Akaviri smithing uses a technique called folding, basically repeatedly heating the metal, hammering and 'folding' it, the process of folding metal improves strength and remove impurities, thus strengthening the blade's durability." Oh she could not stop smiling when she found several tomes on Akaviri smithing on Sky Haven Temple, along with more books sent from her father for her to learn.

"That's an interesting process" Bryce remarked as he stroke his beard. "This 'Akavir' is in Tamriel I take it"

"Oh no, they're another continent across the sea" She nearly laughed at the look Bryce and his sons were giving her. It pretty much screamed their disbelief at the existence of yet another land unknown to them.

"I actually haven't been there myself, few people have in history. But suffice it to say Tamriel and Akavir have... history. The bloody kind"

"Don't all nations?" Marcus cynically droned.

"Hmph" The elf let out a soft laugh, "True. But I doubt Tamriel's encounters with Akavir are over" If what her father said was true, many in Akavir still considered Tamriel to be their 'rivals', and were more than eager to pick up a fight with them again. But that was something to worry about in the future, and with the empire united Miara was confident of their chances in a war against them again. "Either way, we managed to adopt somethings from their lands, including swordsmanship along with various weapons and armors"

Bryce extended his hand, "May I?"

"Of course" She handed him the katana.

The lord ran a pair of fingers over the flat side, careful not to cut himself. A flick of his nail against the metal and he heard it ring. A couple of swings allowed him to familiarize with the weapon, quickly learning the style meant for it was not the same as one would wield a longsword, or even another type of curved sword.

"It's a very interesting blade" He said, appreciating the foreign craftsmanship. "I swear I saw it shrouded in lightning when you battled the bandits, is it enchanted?"

"A strong storm enchantment, yes" She said as she took the weapon back. Triggering its magic the blade became alight with arcs of electricity. "It also has a second enchantment, you can imagine why it's called Dragonbane" Miara smirked.

Among their nods of interest, Fergus' attention was caught to the other sword still strapped to Miara's waist; the shape of the sheath covered even the rather wide hilt, allowing only the handle to be seen. "And that one?"

Miara sheathed Dragonbane back, "Ohhh this one is a treat" She smiled all the wider as she pulled it out, enjoying the gasps and sounds of awe at the sight of Dawnbreaker.

"That's a magic sword!" One of the guards said with the same excitement a child showed when seeing something wondrous. And his fellows were inclined to agree, from the looks to the sheer light coming from the center of its ornate hilt, there was no doubt the blade was magical in nature.

Bryce had seen Maric's own sword, a blade of dragon bone engraved with the shining runes to channel magic power through enchantment, as well as seen more... uncommon weapons in his life, so he was somewhat familiar with what made a sword magical. And yet there was... something else about this blade.

"This is Dawnbreaker, bane of the undead" Miara said proudly. "She's feisty"

"Where did you get such a weapon?" Marcus asked in fascination.

The elf actually seemed to consider her response for a moment. "You would not believe me if I told you" Which was honestly probably for the best considering these people's faith.

Ser Ector leaned in; "The craftsmanship is remarkable!" He could not stop staring in awe at the beautiful weapon.

A thought came to Bryce as he rubbed his chin; "Miara." He had gotten the elf's attention while showing the sword to the brothers and soldiers. "Would you like to see our blacksmith?" That gotten her attention as her ears twitched upwards. He took that as a yes.

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Bryce along with his sons, Ser Gilmore and Ector came to another open area of the castle with a very familiar sight that made the elven nearly squeal happily. Miara was not sure if it her love for smithing came from her aedric side, but it would make sense. The need to create something with her own hands, it just brought a sense of... fulfillment to her existence. Maybe that's why it all had come naturally to her at first, why she was taken with the craft since her early days. Perhaps that was even the reason she conceived Sarya and Oryrn, to create a family for Sofie, something from her own flesh and blood to love just like she came to love her.

Ahhh forges smoldering with heat, hammers striking upon anvils in a rhythm that was music to her ears. Every time she heard the sound of metal being tempered took her back to those simpler days in Cyrodiil, that small village she had called her home for many decades. An orphan had to work double as hard to make it through the day, and all things considered she was luckier than most when that old orc took her as his apprentice. Oh that old goat was not pleased with anything, but that was his way to encourage her. There she had found her vocation and served as the town's blacksmith long after his passing.

Sometimes she wandered what would have been... but she now understood enough that that life was never her fate.

But she'd always be smithing; it would always be her link to that past back when she was mortal. The dragon in her was disgusted she even considered the idea of missing the days in which she was just another mortal in this wide world. And while she would never regret the life she had now, there would always be a special place in her heart for that nostalgic past. In a way, she forged her future with her past, in each blow of the hammer upon the metal.

Currently at the Cousland forge were a dwarven man and woman, dressed in smithing clothes, working diligently on their own respected metals. "Masters Strokig and Bugnuda Greyback. They were from the smithing caste of Orzammar."

Miara blinked; "Aldous told me the dwarves in Orzammar don't leave their underground kingdom."

"Unless exiled or leaving voluntarily," Marcus clarified as they came closer; "I have a good friend in Orzammar, though she's as stubborn as a stone."

Overhearing them, Strokig, who was a bald man with a very thick red mustache and beard looked over; "She's an Aeducan lad! Expect nothing less." The man chuckled as his wife looked up. "Lord Cousland! And whose this tiny elf with ya?!"

Miara only smirked; she was used to smiths and their crass personalities.

"This is guest who's shown quite the knowledge regarding your craft"

The dwarven woman Bugnuda smiled as she cooled a blazing blade in the water. "Well come on in! Few enough people in this place appreciate the art"

Her husband laughed; "Ever seen dwarven smithing lass? You're in for a treat"

Ohhh now they were talking. Miara eagerly walked up to them, ready to learn.

Sadly it was not yet to be.

"Sire!" A voice was suddenly heard, and their attention was driven to a soldier that was quickly running to the head of the Cousland family. "Sire, urgent news!" He was nearly out of breath.

"Easy there, son" The teyrn said placating with a hand up. "What's wrong?"

"Reports from the vigil posts on the Storm Cost, my lord" There honest fear on the man's voice. "There have been sightings of a dragon; it's been flying too close to the local villages"

The eyes of everyone present widened, to say that was a dire development was a massive understatement. Miara herself narrowed her eyes, from what she gathered Thedas had their own dragons, but considering Tamriel's own history, as well as the dovah and their own nature, there were things that just didn't... add up. This presented an opportunity to finally investigate herself.

"What is it doing? Did it attack anyone?" The lord questioned.

"No, sire" The soldier replied with a shake of his head. "So far it hasn't attacked any settlement"

Bryce's gaze shifted as he paced around, analyzing the situation. His sons watched him carefully. "A dragon is territorial, if it's decided to settle down in the area too close to people it's likely it will attack eventually..."

"The people there don't have the forces to fight off a dragon" Marcus stated grimly.

"I know we are to depart for Ostagar soon" Fergus threw in his opinion, "But we can't just take most of our forces away with a dragon right next to our doorstep"

"I know" Bryce sighed before turning the soldier that had delivered to him the message. "Summon my commanders; I will organize a hunting party"

"Nobody here has ever fought a dragon before, father. Not even you" Marcus shook his head. "There will be casualties"

Miara decided that was the time to cut in. "If I may" She said as she approached the men, "I could look into this matter myself"

The Couslands shared a look among themselves, before looking back to her and her supposedly dragon slaying sword. "You have experience hunting dragons?"

Miara grinned. "Some"

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Don't ya just love cliffhangers!

 **For those who wish to be in the know:**

 **Next:** Dragon Age Origin: Dovahkiin 'Another Chapter'

 **Followed by:** Arashi Sannin: A Final Fantasy VII Story 'Two Chapters'

 **Then:** Shoton of Konoha 'Two Chapters'

 **And back to:** Dragon Age Origins: Dovahkiin


	4. The Line of Cousland: Act II

**Disclaimer** : We do not own Dragon Age Origins or the Elder scrolls Series

 **Co-Author and Beta** : Etheral-23

 **The Line of Cousland: Act II  
**

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Hooves and paws dug fiercely into soil as the Cousland brothers, Loke, Ser Gilmore and Ector, a handful of knights, and Miara rode their respected horses from Highever for their destination of the Storm Coast. "Just asking," Miara rode beside Fergus kept her eyes forward; "Why is this place called the 'Storm Coast'?"

"Because of the near constant rain," Ser Ector gave clarification; "The area is lush with a dense forest, connected to a mountainside with high cliffs to the shores, all manners of wildlife, and even Dwarven ruins."

"Watch out for bears or feral Mabari, along with bandits who like hiding out at the coast," Fergus brought up as well.

"I'd rather they were the only thing to worry about" Marcus muttered. Somberly reminding the hunting party why they were here, not that they needed any help reminding them of that.

A dragon. Maker above them never dreamt they'd face such a beast, few thought they'd even get out this situation alive...

The youngest Cousland saw the worried and forlorn faces of their soldiers, and so roused their spirits, "Don't hesitate now, you're children of Highever. You fight for our home. An overgrown lizard is nothing compared to the bite our blades"

A knight shouted 'hear, hear!', as the other soldiers matched the smile the young lord was giving them. Miara could see the beginnings of a leader in Marcus, as expected of someone with a lineage like his who would one day take a larger role in ruling his family's lands. The young man had a lot to live up to.

That said, she wasn't about to let them face a dragon on their own.

"Any sight of the beast?" Fergus asked as they began entering the territories of the coast, already rain began to fall down on them.

"Not yet my lord" A knight replied.

Miara's keen eyes darted to the cloudy skies, rain like this was nothing to a dragon, there wasn't a big enough storm that would impede flight (not that a dragon couldn't fix that with their Voice). Deciding to find the dragon before the others, she turned to the side and whispered.

" **Laas Yah Nir** "

Every creature had an aura, living beings shone red for the most part, while people personally had their own types of colors adorning theirs. It usually told her a lot about the nature of a person's soul and their personality. Fergus and Marcus shined with a royal blue color; it shimmered strongly though flickered with apprehension at the task before them. The soldiers were much more like candles against the wind.

She saw at least a dozen different animals, but a dragon would be easy to spot. Her eyes slowly trailed as she surveyed the landscaped of trees and rocky hills of the coast, trying to spot the beast.

There, at least a mile in the distance she saw it. Huge, mighty, imposing and... What in Oblivion?

The dragon's aura it... it was different from a dragon in Tamriel.

Something was wrong here.

Fergus steered his horse carefully as they passed through a rocky road. "So, you said you have experience hunting dragons, right Miara?" When he got no answer, he asked again; "Miara?"

"Uhhh my lords" A knight spoke nervously. "She's gone..."

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Mara be praised she found a hidden rocky road that diverted straight for where she had seen the dragon with her shout. Waves of water could be heard hitting the cliff-side as she moved from rock to forestry and unmounted Shadowmere.

They had reached a curve where coast and forest met. Thankfully her aura whisper was still active as she looked back as saw the hunting party moving the opposite direction. "Krosis kul... Safer I go alone." Her eyes became as steel looking back ahead; "And find this Dovah."

Her steps were silent, senses sharp trekking through the forest as she stuck to the shadow. Something was off about this dragon. It felt nothing like Odahviing, or Durnehviir, or the rest of the dragons living in Skyrim! Creeping passed a large boulder along with large foliage she heard at least the familiar sound a deep guttural growl further ahead.

Taking several more paces ahead, the hidden Elf's eyes rose in both disbelief and awe. The entity before her was the size of two houses! Maroon scales danced in the rain and morning sun as it walked on four legs, large wings rested on its back as its long tail swayed about. Its neck was long which held the unmistakable head of a horned dragon. It's fierce yellow slit eyes gazed around the forest.

Her mouth opened and closed, struggling to form the words before she finally spoke; "...What are you?"

That... _thing_ was not a dragon.

Miara knew dragons. She herself was a dragon; she had felt the dragon souls being consumed into her own when she battled any Dovah who challenged her. She felt them just by being near them.

But this creature? Its soul was so... wrong.

A dragon soul shined like blazing fire with all the colors of the rainbow, an immense contrast to the mortal black souls, indicating their divine superiority above all other creatures in the face of Nirn. Their blood was the blood of Akatosh himself.

But this thing? It was barely a campfire compared to the mighty dov. Oh to mortal creatures it was a firestorm, but its soul would never measure up to a true dovah.

This 'dragon', this disgusting mockery of her kin... it was just an animal.

It must have picked up her scent as the 'dragon' turned its long neck towards her general direction. Its growl was pure bestial, feral, having no power of a divine spark. She paused in the shadows as Miara weighed her options. Fighting this beast would likely draw the others to her direction, which would make the battle much more dangerous for all involved.

Perhaps a show of dominance would work? Letting out a long sigh, Miara stood as she slowly came out from the shadows and in the view of the 'Dragon' who growled in a threatening manner. The Dragonborn stood a good several paces away as elf and beast stared at one another. Neither flinched or showed any weakness towards the other till finally the 'dragon' let out resounding roar.

It did not greet her like a dovah should, its Voice was lacking. There was no intelligence, no sapience, just raw instinct. There was nothing, no soul to it at all... Not even the very ground beneath her feet did not shake. Reaffirming the dark elf that this indeed an animal and not a true Dovah...

It sickened Miara; she felt rage boil in the depth of her very soul. This sunvaar dares to roar before the Thur of all true Dovah as if she was lesser!? With a deep breath she opened her mouth.

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Combing through another path of the forest and cliffs of the Coast; The brothers and knights with one mabari surveyed and walked through the area cautiously. "Where could that bloody woman have gone?" Fergus muttered in irritation holding his sword and shield.

"There was another path near the one we went. She might have gone through there," Ser Ector spoke beside the knights.

Soon they all held their ears as a deep ear shattering draconian roar erupted throughout the coast! The whole area, from the ground beneath them to the trees, cliffs, and rocks shook as if an earthquake tore through.

The horses went wild, with their equally frightened riders trying to keep them under control. Loke whimpered while birds flew terrified along with every animal nearby, fleeing in droves. A roar _so_ powerful... What manner of creature could make the entire coast to quake like that?

"Maker!" Fergus cried out as he reigned in his mount. "Is it a high dragon?! Is the beast we came for its mate?!"

The possibility made their situation all the more dangerous.

Marcus' head whipped widely in every direction. "Miara is still out there somewhere, we need to find her and make sure she's safe!"

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The beast cowered before Ysmir. Good. That thing ought to learn its place when standing before the Thur. Already she was being too generous by tolerating its blasphemous existence, but the longer she stared at it, at that pathetic thing that could not even Shout, she felt her patience wearing thin.

Taking Dragonbane from its sheath, arcs of lightning danced across the blade as she marched forth, all too eager to end this mockery in an instant. Gods, she was sure she wouldn't even enjoy taking its soul...

The creature whimpered in fright, but one look at something behind it and suddenly its courage blossomed, spreading its wings and striking the ground with its tail threateningly.

So the fangs weren't just for show then. At least the thing wasn't as pathetic as Miara thought. At least its death would be valorous, if only because whatever that thing wanted to... wanted to...

Miara's thoughts drifted, all hostility slowly vanished from her mind as she stared at just what was so precious that the beast was willing to lay down its life for.

Eggs... By the Void, those were eggs...

Another proof that it wasn't a true dovah. The children of the time-god did not lay eggs, the way they came to existence was due to the hand of their father himself, as though they had always existed, without beginning nor end. To lay eggs was a misconception of legends, something mortal creatures did.

It should not have changed anything but... Gods help her that was the line she couldn't cross. The one she'd never cross.

To kill an infant, born or not, in cold blood. She was many things, a lot of them weren't good in the least... but child-killer would never be a title applicable to her.

Animal or not. Mockery or not. Miara still had that boundary.

She sheathed her blade as she rose up her hands in a non-threatening manner; "Drem! Krosis monah." Would using the Dovahzul help, hell is she knew but couldn't hurt to try. "Krosis... Zu'u drey ni mindok! Drem..." Her voice now calm, warm.

The mother dragon growled, tilting her head at the elf. Miara spoke in a soothing manner in the dragon's tongue in hope there was any semblance of communication.

There was something the Dragonborn could see; Understanding? Maybe in a minimal sense, but it was something. The posture of the mother dragon slowly relaxed but remained cautious and ready.

Hmm, the creature wasn't just a mindless animal like she first thought. Oh there was mostly instinct there but... there was also life, concern for its offspring. Miara understood that very well.

She turned to face the eggs once more; they had to be the size of an adult male in there. A dragon (Oh by Father above she had no other way to call them) offspring had to be immense even in its early stages. She shared a look with the mother, assuring her she meant no harm as she raised her palm and approached.

She gave her permission with a soft hissing noise and her head bowing.

Miara knelt before one of the eggs, placing a palm upon it. It was warm, so very warm... It was alive, there was true life growing inside it.

Even if it wasn't a true dovah, Miara found it beautiful.

Admiration soon shifted as the elf looked back out to the Coast. Her new acquaintances would not be so merciful towards this mother Dragon and children. Her mind raced as scenarios went back and forth, no outcomes being pleasant save one. She just hoped this mother dragon would understand what she was trying to tell her.

Miara turned her heels sharply to gaze up seeing the dragon had stared at her the entire time; "Monah, mindoraan..." She was not sure how long it took, but bless the Nine she saw the recognition from the mother dragon that her eggs were danger.

With a long and deep explosive breathe that came from the Dunmer as she gazed the area around them. Then an idea took form as she knelt down and placed her hands on the wet ground. The mother dragon tilted her head as she watched before her eyes turned to shock as she saw foliage cover her eggs! Miara spoke while her magic seeped into through soil, explaining as best she could how for the mother dragon to take her eggs safely from here and not come to conflict with humans, elves, or dwarves.

The eggs were soon covered in a dense and sturdy looking satchel made of grass and soil. The mother dragon lowered her long neck as Miara, using her telekinetic magic, placed a strap on the large beast.

"Stay away from the humans, elves, and dwarves" She spoke softly at the dragon, hoping at least the mother could understand the general meaning of her words. "Keep the kiirre safe" The dragon let out a gentle growl in turn, almost in gratitude and she leaned in, allowing Miara to run a hand over the rough scales.

The dragon part of her raged, roaring that she shouldn't be so compassionate for this creature... but the voice of Miara the mother was far stronger, and so she listened to it. Doing what she thought for the future mother.

The elf patted the dragon's neck once the makeshift sack was secure. "Go, bo lok"

The dragon spread her wings and flapped, soon lifting off from the ground and the sack with her eggs dangled safely from its makeshift satchel carried by the great mother. With a roar, the dragon flew off into the distance until she disappeared from sight.

Miara followed her with her gaze until she could no longer see the beast. She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as a hundred different thoughts run across her mind. She didn't know how exactly this lesser breed of dragon had come into existence, but the answers had to lie somewhere in Thedas.

Her mission had become a lot more complicated.

Shaking her head she concentrated in the now, the Couslands and their party would be wondering where she had gone to, and if she had faced the dragon. She couldn't just tell them she had allowed it to go free with its unborn offspring; she needed to convince them that the dragon had escaped on its own accord.

Looking around the nest, Miara figured at least she could fake a more convincing scene. Fire bloomed from her hands as she scorched the earth; with fortune they'd believe fire was the dragon's doing who had struck in retaliation.

Her movements stopped momentarily as she felt a familiar presence approach, she continued even as a great weight landed behind her, making the ground tremble. The dunmer in disguise focused her attention on the task at hand to make the whole place into a convincing battlefield.

A deep rumble came from behind her. "You let that... _thing_ escape?"

Miara did not turn to face him. "It had offspring, I couldn't kill"

"Bah!" A grave snarl followed. "Blasphemy. Dovah have no beginning nor end, that thing was an abomination and should have died like one"

"Whether true dovah or not, I still felt a... connection. It is so much weaker than a proper dragon soul, but it was 'there'. Even if it was just a spark, and then when I saw the eggs... I couldn't do it, Odahviing"

Once briefly an enemy, now Miara's dearest zeymah, the ruby red dragon had followed them from Tamriel upon he and Durnehviir being told of the seers prophecy and Thedas. The undead dragon was quite fascinated and requested he be summoning when needed on those shores. Odahviing playfully grumbled but came along anyways, being as much as an adventurer as his dear briinah.

The ruby dovah shook his head in disapproval but said nothing. "To think those creatures had survived this long. Amazed the joor had not hunted them all for sport."

The elf kept to her work; "What are they?"

" _Dovah_ -Sunvaar," A seething growl came from her zeymah as if angry just calling these animals dragons. "Though we have more colorful names for them."

"Zeymah..."

"What words could I begin to offer Briinah? The Dov knew not how they came to be, but we have hated them all the same. A mockery of our Bormah and ourselves!"

"Wait" The way Odahviing spoke, "How long have the dov known about this?"

"What do you think Alduin was doing when he wasn't seen flying over Skyrim?" The red dragon replied with a question of his own. "He traveled all across Vus, seeking our buried fallen to revive them. Including what he called 'forsaken lands', only to find bestial things that dare imitate us"

Miara grew pensive at his words, "Alduin was here before..." She needed consult the books on these Thedosian dragons, see what she could find. If a dragon as devastating as the World-Eater had flown over these lands in the past there had to be records of some kind depicting him, wherever the Firstborn went catastrophe followed. "So, does that mean there are true dov here?"

"Hmm, there must be" Odahviing replied. "I know more of our kin in Akavir than I do of this place, and when Alduin returned he kept the matter silent and forbidden, whatever he found in these lands it clearly invoked his ire. I'd imagine it has something to do with these lesser dov"

The Dragonborn let out a long suffering sigh as she threw her head back. "The more I find out about Thedas the more confused I get. Something is... wrong here. I can't explain how or why, but the signs are everywhere"

An amused chuckle came from the ruby dragon; "I'm certain you will find something briinah. You are by far the most curious dovah I have ever met." A polite way of calling Miara nosey before he took to the skies again.

Barely three minutes had passed as shouting could be heard coming towards the Dragonborn. It was not long before the Cousland brothers, Loke, and loyal knights came to a scene of heavy devastation. Smoke and fire covered a good portion of the area as Miara sat on a rock staring at the lot. "What kept you?"

Fergus just gazed in shock at the destruction; "What in the name of Andraste happened here?!"

"Found the dragon and soon fought," the elf hopped off the boulder approaching them; "Then another one decided to drop in."

Ser Ector came her way in concern; "We heard; that had to be a High Dragon. Are you alright?"

"I am fine," she spoke with a smile; "As I said, I've fought with quite a few dragons back home. The Coast should be safe now."

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Their hunting party did not succeed in killing the dragon, and more worrying was the sudden presence of a high dragon that suddenly decided to fly off to Maker-knows where. They had not even seen the beast nor where it had gone to. Even though Miara assured them the dragon would not be returning.

The elf was their only source on dragons and their behavior, but Marcus honestly wasn't too sure about her claims. He honestly did not believe a lot of what she said. As Marcus walked back to his room, tired from all the constant riding and ready to retire on his bed, he pondered back on the myriad of things she had told them about.

He did not believe the elf to be malicious of any sort; her having saved his father without asking for a reward told a lot about her character. But... it was her tales he had a lot of trouble believing. She spoke with all the cadence and grandiose speech of a bard, she knew how to make tall tales and sell them to her audience with a sweet honeyed tongue. But that was all there were to Marcus, tales. He was sure most of his family was humoring her.

Come now, did she really expect them to believe there were anthropomorphic cat and lizard people? All manner of strange and mystical creatures (including the long dead griffons) beyond some of Thedas' wildest tales? Elves that lived for centuries, with her being old enough to be his and Fergus' great-great-grandmother?

Fairy tales to entertain the children, if anything.

Iona and Amethyne were quite taken with the woman though. And from what he heard from their Alienage, so were the rest of the elves of Highever. So there was that at least.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Marcus groaned as he stirred from his bed. A much softer noise came to his ears and made his eyelids open. A warm smile graced his lips at the sight of a sleeping Iona, resting her head on his chest, naked as he was from their previous nightly activities.

His sapphire orbs turned to the ceiling, had two weeks really gone by? Didn't feel like it had been that long since father had brought home that strange elf that saved his father and had driven off two dragons from the Storm Coast.

The elf had been... busy. From sparring with soldiers to spending a lot of time in the armory, not to mention the amount of time she spent studying with Aldous or helping the elves of the Alienage with whatever they needed. There was not a moment in which Miara seemed to just stop, like she was a woman used to going from one place to another, doing a hundred different things at once. Which Marcus guessed he could attribute to her lifestyle if her stories were anything to go by (not that he believed them).

Her stay here had extended beyond of what the youngest of the Cousland brothers was comfortable with, and had shared his concerns with his father. His father was not blind to his gratitude and debt to the elf, but Miara simply did not show any type of hostility or ill intent towards their family. His father had even confided in him that he was considering paying Miara to help protect Highever while he was away in the coming battle. Mercenary work did not seem to be a foreign concept to the elf after all.

His father told him how he had entertained the thought of hiring her to fight in Ostagar even, but did not want to overstep his bounds to someone who had literally saved his life and that of his men.

Marcus had experienced (rather painfully) Miara's fighting prowess first hand, and did not doubt for a moment the elf would be a boon to any armed forces. So he at least understood his father's reasoning.

Hmm, come to think of it. He did promise to visit the Alienage during one of Miara's visit; it did well to the peasantry that the nobility in charge could mingle with them in an open manner. He was also rather curious on the various works the elf had made with the dwarves on the smithy, at points they had gotten so much into it they forbade anyone in so they wouldn't be distracted.

Marcus wouldn't admit it out loud, but the look on his father's face when they shut the door to him was one of the funniest sights he'd ever seen. Not everyone could get away doing that to a teyrn.

Looking at his beloved, he briefly considered to just spend the rest of his day in bed. But he had his responsibilities to attend to.

He carefully shifted out of her grasp and began looking for his clothes; it was at that moment that Iona woke up, rubbing her eyes with her hand. "What time is it?" She groggily asked.

"Early morning" He answered as he fastened his pants. "We're wasting daytime, come on" He gave her a teasing smile. "Lots to do today"

She sighed in an exaggerated fashion, clearly preferring to spend the day on the comfortable bed. "Alright, alright..." She surrendered and began changing. "So, today we're going to the Alienage right?"

"Right" He confirmed as he put on a boot. "'Storytime', Miara said. One of her outlandish tales again no doubt"

Iona chuckled; "While I doubt the authenticity of such stories, you can't say they're not engaging. She has a bard's tongue that one" Miara had made it a pastime of her to tell stories to the children till they fell asleep. The age appropriate kind. It was when they were deep into slumber that the adults were gifted with the more 'adventurous' ones, often received with laughter and cheer.

"Perhaps" Marcus admitted as he put on a linen shirt. "But I'm more curious of her works on the forge with the Greybacks. I swear they're experimenting like alchemist. I heard at point they used stormheart to make a bow, a 'bow', not armor or other weapons. That makes no sense, stormheart works better as-"

"My darling, you presume I actually care about smithing..." The elf droned out before he could go on a rant.

"Right, right" He laughed to himself.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

As the morning activities had begun around the castle and village, people greeted the youngest Cousland and his bride-to-be as they strolled throughout Highever. The couple was always either animated in conversation or simply enjoying being in the presence of the each other. Of course it did not stop the idle gossip from servants, villagers, and soldiers of a highborn and elven woman openly in a relationship and soon to be wed.

For many the very idea was outright scandalous! For most, elves were considered pleasures for the bedroom and nothing more. Less considered them only fit for servitude to nobility and nothing more. Few were actually brave enough to express their opinions to Marcus who either ignored them or punched them for their hateful belligerence towards Iona and Amethyne.

While a smaller few had seen this as way to possibly start of mending the gap between the elves and humans. By seeing such a union between a human of nobility and elven woman who both clearly loved each other gave many hope.

Their pace was casual as Marcus and Iona strolled through Highever being greeted by the peasantry. Not far behind Ser Gilmore and Ser Ector followed as their guard, who listened to the couple chatter. "Amethyne has been enraptured by Miara's stories since she started telling them in the Alienage," Iona spoke idle as she leaned her head on Marcus's arm.

Also explained why her daughter was not with them, likely had went with the foreign elven woman along with Loke. Iona was surprised how quickly her daughter warmed up their strange distant elven kin. Not that Miara minded as they seen she adores children as much as she loves forging.

"Its wondrous hearing about the elven heroes of Tamriel," Iona spoke again while in thought; "Not to rest value to those we have here," Iona pointed out. "There is Thane Shartan, Warden Garahel and... And..." Her brow furrowed in concentration as she struggled to come up with a third example, growing disheartened when she found none. "I guess we could use more stories of elven heroes, even if they are from far off shores"

Marcus was sure there were other famed elves in Thedas, but none that the general populace would like to hear about. The Chantry certainly did not help matters with their stance on the elven folk, erasing every trace of their culture and heritage, scrapping the involvement of elves in historical moments. Hell, his own father Bryce had fought alongside elves who gave their lives in opposing the Orlesian Empire.

Miara had said there are various tribes or civilizations of elves in Tamriel. Altmer, dunmer, and bosmer for example, she hadn't gone much into what differentiated them from each other besides a few cultural cues. She had said the dunmer split from the altmer due to religious differences, the bosmer sounded a lot like the dalish, and the altmer were the elves that had griffons.

Yes, that was the part that really stood out to him. And no, he could not stop thinking about it.

Bottom line was that the elves in Tamriel possessed thriving cultures, kingdoms to call their own, actual homelands where they practiced their beliefs and costumes without fearing human oppression.

The look on Iona's face when she first heard about it was... Marcus simply couldn't describe it easily. Was it hope? Yearning? The willful thought that one day Amethyne could experience something like that? He simply could not put it into words.

As they neared the alienage gates, the couple could already see the elves gathering around their great tree. No doubt surrounding Miara, the elf was standing up over something; perhaps on a chair or a stool, so her audience could all see her and her words wouldn't be drowned in the middle of the crowd. She smiled upon spotting them, doing an elaborate curtsy, causing the other elves to turn and greet the young Cousland with their own signs of respect.

"Ahhh the youngest son of Lord Cousland and his lady love graces us with their presence!" She spoke with that grandiose tone she used to narrate her stories. "Come, come! The more the merrier!"

Marcus nodded his greetings as he and Iona approached with their guards. Stopping momentarily to see shake the hand of the alienage elder.

Kharis was starting to look his age, every year there was grayer to his hair and more wrinkles on his face. "My young lord, it's always an honor to have you here"

"It is my pleasure to spend time with my people, elder" The young Cousland replied with sincere smile. The elves were not afraid of approaching their lord, he welcomed them all, and a far cry from how many other nobles interacted with their elven peasantry. "I believe there are also some matters we need to discuss regarding the alienage yes?" He had read a report about the water of their well-being very dirty lately; it was a matter that needed to be taken care of.

"Yes of course, but that can wait for now" The elder smiled widely. "Lady Miara is about to start one of her stories"

"Oh yes," the dark elf clasped her hands together as she smiled; "This is a tale from the third era of Tamriel, when a great darkness took hold in the lands of the dunmer in Morrowind. A plaque swept through the land made by the dark sorcerer Dagoth Ur. And a man who rose from the ash lands and became a hero of Dunmer. The Nerevarine!"

All the children looked in awe, Iona soon finding her dear Amethyne sitting with the mabari war hound beside the other children. Even the adults looked at Miara with interest.

Naturally Miara would have to cut out certain events of that old story given her father had killed three living gods... Thankfully she did ACTUALLY learn from the Bards College other than going into many dangerous ruins with Mara knows what's in there to fetch some lost instrument or book of songs.

"He was born on a certain day to uncertain parents. And what more humble beginning can there be than being all by yourself, with no family nor lineage, with a path as uncertain as your own origin? Who would know that such a great hero would have started as just another urchin on the streets? Well, as Fate would prove time and time again, it is often that type of individuals, the downtrodden, the meek, the unlikely, the ones whose future seem be dim and fickle, who became the heroes who shape history"

And she began her tale. A young elf born on the streets, whose decisions would eventually lead him to become a prisoner, a tool for the empire to use on a province besiege by strife.

He was met by mistrustful eyes everywhere he went. For that is how the elves of Morrowind had learnt to survive for so long, always keep your hand on your sword, for even someone who gives you a cordial smile might be keeping a knife behind his back.

But not Nmeryn, who always showed his true face wherever he went, whoever he talked to. He was simply a man looking to start over. A man who knew nothing of his own past did not want to muddle up his future with lies and deception.

Yet Morrowind would not let his journey be an easy one. Dark magic had called upon abominations, twisted monstrosities, grotesqueries that swarmed the ashy lands, destroying everything in their path. A plague that consumed all and turned them in rage filled creatures. Such a threat needed to be fought.

But Morrowind was home to proud people, extremely haughty people, too caught up in their own struggles to even begin facing the greater threat. Nmeryn would not have it; he could not stand the lords in their palaces sat on their thrones while good honest folk suffered. If the great houses would not move to act, he would make them act.

"He fought with spear and blade, armor enchanted with the finest magics, no warrior could match his mettle, and no beast could overcome his martial prowess. One by one he went to the Great Houses of Morrowind. The pious and dutiful Redoran, the cunning merchants of Hlaalu, and the reclusive mystics of the Telvanni. 'Would you not act?!' He demanded, 'Your land burns while you stay idle!'"

"But the lords denied him each time, 'Who are you to speak to us? By what right do you call upon us to action? Show us why should we listen to you, why you are so worthy'. Nmeryn could have raged, he could plot and schemed to get his way, for many of these lords were just petty highborns too caught up in their own squabbles. But he stayed his hand and listened, and instead told them; 'Then tell me how can I prove myself'"

They tasked Nmeryn with all manner of quests, from the banal and meaningless to those that would take the heart of greater men. Many just used him for their own benefit; others had turned to him in desperation for they had nothing to lose. The elf had accomplished all these and more.

"The common folk looked at him in awe and thought; 'This man is a hero'. The lords could only stare incredulously, 'how is he still alive?' Nmeryn's numerous deeds were so outstanding, so challenging that by all rights he should have fallen a hundred times over. Even the haughty lords could not help but feel humbled before such martial prowess, such unrelenting drive. But Nmeryn's strength came not from the bite of his steel or the strength of his armor; it was his sheer, raw, determination. The man had set out to protect Morrowind, and there was nothing that would stand on his way"

The people soon began to see him as something beyond mortal, many were even comparing him to the greatest hero of their history; Nerevar. And of that there could be no coincidence, for who else could care so much for the people of Morrowind, who else could overcome the challenges Nmeryn had. Soon the praises spread the tale of he was hailed as Nerevar reborn, the Nerevarine.

The people called him 'great one', and the houses acknowledged his might. He had earnt their respect, and so with their aid sent forth to stop the great disease that plagued them, which he discovered was the result of a foul sorcerer of untold power known as Dagoth Ur. The mad mage had boasted himself equal to a god.

"'Who are you to stand before me?!' Shouted Dagoth Ur, but the Nerevarine merely looked him with a gaze that could bring down castle walls, 'I'm just a nobody, who was on the wrong place at the right time'. Their battle shook the foundations of Red Mountain, ash and fire spew in their rage! Dagoth's unearthly powers called forth magics that toyed with the laws of reality, but Nmeryn carried the hopes of an entire people, he would not fall!"

Silence, utter silence when she took a pause.

"And he did not" She softly continued. "He defeated Dagoth Ur, saving untold innocents, and when his role in history was done, he set out for lands unknown" She moved her arms dramatically, "And such is the tale... of the Nerevarine" And bowed.

The applause she received were deafening, the cheers were filled with excitement and utter joy at having heard such a story. Miara had a gift that was something Marcus could not doubt, her voice just made him imagine every part with so much clarity. He could not stop smiling.

The faces of the elves though, their joy was something else... Marcus had been born into a wealthy home, never lacking anything, he did not live through the hardships of war, did not face prejudice, he had lost no homeland, and his heritage and culture was never stolen from him. He could not understand what the elves had gone through, but he now understood just how much they needed this. To know that somewhere, somehow, their people could live free, honoring their own culture without fear of subjugation.

Miara's story was just that, something that could inspire them to believe their lives could be better; they could make something for themselves. Greatness was not beyond their reach.

But upon the sight of seeing the sheer joy from Iona and Amethyne who cheered as much as the others made listening to the tale all the better.

Miara clasped her hands together; "Now I do have a bit more for you all today, mostly songs however. What to hear them?" She smirked hearing the unanimous nods from her audience; "I don't have an instrument but have been told I have quite the singing voice."

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

"I must admit, this story felt a touch different than others you told us" The young Cousland said he and his companions stood by the Vhenadahl, he idly glanced and smiled at the sight of Amethyne and other elven children playing with Loke, already hearing about they played at being great elven heroes like Shartan, Garahel, and now the foreign hero Nmeryn. Meanwhile many of the alienage elves mingled with each other, leaving some room for the young lord's group to speak.

"Did it?" Miara did not express surprise or confusion despite her retort. "Well, you could say this story is dear to me for... certain reasons. Forgive if I do not go into them"

"I understand" He conceded with a nod, respecting her privacy.

"It was a magnificent story my lady" Elder Kharis spoke, "It really did lift the spirits here, we seldom have any of our own stories from the old kingdom, I doubt even the dalish remember much"

The foreign elf smile, "It was my pleasure, I thought they could use a story like that"

"Though I admit" Iona said, "More than elves having their own kingdom, it surprises me more that some of their nobility sounds... not too unlike human's here. Present company excluded of course, my darling" She jokingly added.

"Thank you" He replied in turn with the same levity, electing a few chuckles from the elves and his guards.

"Oh I wish I could tell you it's not like that in Tamriel," Miara said, "but it'd be a massive lie. Now I've met my fair share of generous and reasonable nobles... but for every one of them there are also those stuck up bluebloods who believe themselves 'superior' just because their great-great-grandfather owned a farm or something..."

"Hmph, the type of nobles who abuse their power seems to be a constant" Marcus gruffly said. "No matter the land or race"

"Not everyone can be your father, my lord" Sir Ector, one of his escorts, said. "But fortunately not everyone is like Kendells and his brat"

The name elicited a hiss from Cousland. "Kendells... I still can't believe what happened" Those present knew what he was talking about. How could they not? The news of a noble's death, particularly in such a fashion, spread like wildfire.

Vaughan Kendells, an arrogant bastard of the highest grade, murdered in his own home alongside his friends. His father was nowhere to be found; apparently he had disappeared after he left Denerim on business, likely assassinated. With no living heirs the Kendells were officially a dead house, their holdings going to other nobles of Denerim.

The circumstances surrounding his death left a bitter taste on everyone's mouth.

"Heard he kidnapped some elven women, on their wedding day no less!" Sir Ector said in loathing and disgust. "And then he and those degenerates with him are found dead. Maker forgive, but those bastards had it coming"

"No one here will fault you" Marcus assured him, sharing his own intense dislike for the pampered brat that treated living people like toys. "The news said he was torn apart, like a bear had mauled him. It must been a hound, a mabari most likely"

Oh it was not a Mabari that killed Vaughan, Jonaley, and Braden. Miara knew full well the being who had slew those three pompous and privileged idiots. But she would never say a single word, though what got her attention was the person who took the full blame for the slaying. "A Gin Tabris did it you say?" Oh Serana, did you pin the blame on some innocent bystander?

"I've met him," Iona spoke up; "but in passing at best. I'm friends with his cousin Shianni. She helped look after Amethyne before Lady Landra brought us to her home. But I'm glad to hear Gin was recruited as a Grey Warden instead of being executed."

That was sheer luck that Warden Commander Duncan happened to be in Denerim when that sorted affair took place.

Well, to Miara Fate and luck were often one and the same.

* * *

 **XxX ~ several days later~ XxX**

* * *

"So, this Rendon fought alongside your father in the rebellions?"

"Indeed, he's been a family friend ever since. I remember when I was young I would even call him 'uncle'"

Miara and the oldest of the Cousland brothers were currently conversing about the upcoming visit from Rendon Howe, whom the elf was learning to be another lord of Ferelden, this time from the lands of Amaranthine that made direct contact with the sea to the east.

He and Bryce went back long ago, as Fergus said, having fought side by side during the rebellions against Orlais with Leonas Bryland. Their friendship remained even to this day, with Bryce and Eleanor having been present during his wedding to Eliane Bryland, Leonas' sister.

Though apparently relations with Bryland's side of the family were... 'Cold' was an understatement as Miara heard. Apparently Rendon had made some questionable choices on his life.

"He can be..." Fergus was trying come up with a word to properly describe Rendon; "Abrasive, but he's not outright unreasonable."

At that the elf just shrugged having met those types of nobility all over Tamriel. Just meant however she had to watch her temper or she might punch him. "He will be going with Bryce and yourself to Ostagar."

As Bryce knew it would come, a letter of summons came from the king in need of more troops and experienced warriors. Preparations were well underway as Ser Ector was seeing to the Cousland soldiers who were leaving for Ostagar.

"Yes, Rendon is an accomplished warrior like father."

Fergus said he took out his sword from his sheath and inspected it. "I must admit, I'm surprised your stay here has lasted so Miara. Not that I'm complaining or anything"

"Well, Bryce offered to pay me to act as a guard of sort. I told him I required no payment, I will remain here until he returns from the south"

"Truly?" He was honestly surprised by that attitude. "Wouldn't that take too much of your time in exploring more of Thedas?"

"Young man" Miara had to laugh at that. "Time is something I have in abundance"

The way she said it was a touch strange, but Fergus paid it no mind. "Well, we are very grateful for that regardless" He put away his sword and began inspecting his armor set on a rack.

Miara observed the elder of the Cousland brothers, measuring him in her own way. "Have you been to war before?"

"I fought many times in battles"

"Not what I asked" The elf shook her head. "War is nothing like a skirmish with bandits. Strategy, logistics, morale, assets, experience, every single thing you have available will play a part. And then when the proper fighting starts you must do everything in your power to retain a semblance of control over your emotions. Once the battle starts everything becomes... chaos" She stated gravely yet in a soft tone. "Metal tearing through muscle and bone, armor cracking, the roars of rage, too many distractions. Blood pumping so fast you hear your own heartbeat. Eventually the line breaks and allies and enemies are fighting 'everywhere'. If you don't recognize a fellow soldier by his armor the moment you see him, you might accidentally kill him in the confusion"

Fergus turned his gaze to the elven woman, the tone in which she spoke carried so much weight and experience. "Have you been in a war?"

"I have been in two." Miara said simply as she looked him in the eyes; "First was a civil war that had been going on for years in Skyrim. The second was an all-out conflict throughout Tamriel against a group of elven supremacists." The elf gazed up at the sky; "the first one could have been prevented. But _hate_ can blind even good men."

Her tone was, mournful? The oldest son of Bryce couldn't place her it. "...And the second war?"

"Was a long time coming," her voice held a fierce edge upon gazing back down to Fergus.

The Cousland pondered her words for a moment. "Did you win?"

"I wouldn't be here if we hadn't" She sighed, picking up his helmet and inspecting it. "I'd like to think it was worth it in the end, that it gave us all the new start we needed. I guess time will tell"

She remained silent after that, looking at that particular piece of gear in her hands, running a thumb over the ridges across the cheek section. As though the item in question brought back memories.

"Never liked wearing helmets" Miara absently spoke, "I'm an agile fighter; these things limit my field of vision. I need be aware of my surroundings" She put it back on the armor rack. "Normally I would advise you further, but the enemy you face is beyond conventional warfare"

From what she read, the Darkspawn were monsters in every sense of the word. They could not be reasoned with, bargains and deals were out of the question, intelligence could only get them so far, the Darkspawn didn't fight among themselves, and there weren't different groups with their own self-interests that could be exploited. They wanted no lands, no riches, only the utter corruption and annihilation of all creation.

In this war it came down to the two most basic things of warfare. Defend and attack, until the enemy was defeated. It was childishly simple, but such a direct approach was the only one that would be effective against them.

Fergus muttered as he readied his gear. "No Arch-Demon has been spotted thus far but that does not mean it's not around."

Healthy paranoia was a good thing, and Fergus had a good head on his shoulders. He would need that for Ostagar. Letting the young man get ready for his duties, Miara bid her farewells and left. The elven woman greeted a few guards and servants that passed her and nod to Mother Mellol in her chapel.

It was not too long before she came across Marcus who wore a simple cotton shirt and leather pants and boots. "Where's your better half?" Miara partially joked with a smirk.

"Lady Landra arrived today with her son Dairren. Amethyne is playing with Oren, I'm going to see father. Heard Rendon finally arrived" Marcus invited her with a friendly smile. "Would you like to join me?"

The elf smile back, "Of course" and so the two made their way towards the main hall. "So, your father is leaving you in charge of Highever" Miara idly commented.

"The castle affairs mostly" He shrugged, "Mother help oversee the matters of Highever in general too"

"Well, it only makes sense" She smiled teasingly, "Your mother sure has a commanding presence"

That actually got a snort from the blue eyed young man. "Don't have to tell me..."

They soon arrived at the main hall, the guard opening the door for them. There they saw Bryce conversing to another man dressed in fine clothes that indicated his rank and status. He looked a bit older than Bryce if Miara was being honest, his face was more wrinkle, and the shape of his nose was much more pronounce. It wasn't exactly an attractive trait. That had to be Rendon Howe, Miara imagined.

"-at least the Orlesians were men, not these... monsters" His voice dripped with disgust.

Bryce just joked in reply. "At least the smell will be the same!" He soon spotted his youngest son and his guest as they approached. "Ah, here you are! Rendon, you remember my son Marcus. And this is-"

"Excuse me for a moment, you there" Howe suddenly called to the elf, making Miara stare at him in confusion. "Run a message to my men at the stables; tell them I'll meet with them in an hour. My thanks" He turned back to Bryce, seemingly unaware of the flabbergasted look he was giving him. "Sorry, you were saying?"

"...He did not just do that" Marcus muttered in disbelief with a shake of his head. A worried gaze to the elf at his side pretty much assured his fears.

Miara's eyes had narrowed ever so thinly while her ears dropped dangerously.

Recovering from this stupor, Bryce pinched his nose and sighed deeply. "And this is Miara Redoran" He gestured to the elf the the Arl of Amaranthine had mistaken for another servant. "She saved my life a couple of weeks ago..."

Upon hearing that from his old friend the Arl blinked and gave the elf another look. Well she was certainly taller than most elves and dressed better; "Oh so this is the foreigner you spoke of. Arl Rendon Howe of Amaranthine." he gave a small nod.

Apparently he did not understand the concept of apologizing as he turned his gaze to Marcus and began speaking like nothing had happened. Well, Fergus did say Rendon was abrasive, now Miara could put being a horse's ass as well.

"Rendon," Bryce spoke up with a strong tone as he glared at his longtime friend.

The Arl rolled his eyes; "Oh very well." He looked over to Miara; "Apologizes for my words my lady." Was that even remotely sincere? Honestly the elf didn't really care at this point but the principle of the matter irritated her still.

But let it never be said she was a poor guest, she simply smiled back and gave a nod; "Accepted my lord Arl."

"If I may ask" The arl spoke casually; "Will you be staying in Highever while we march for Ostagar?"

"My stay here has prolonged beyond my original expectation, as Bryce had sought to hire me to protect his family while he is away. I refused any pay" She clarified. "It'll simply be my pleasure"

"And I'm very grateful for it, Miara" Bryce said sincerely.

"I see..." Howe said in an unreadable voice before turning to Marcus; "And Marcus, my goodness boy, you're all but a fine young man now!" He smiled with the same familiarity one reserved for friends and family.

The blue eyed young man smiled back in kind. "It is good to see you again, lord Howe"

"And I heard you're soon to be wed, oh that shattered my poor Delilah's heart" The arl said dramatically.

It took some restraint for Marcus not to roll his eyes; "Pardon my words, but those are nothing but lies. Delilah and I have our... differences"

Bryce clarifies for Miara; "He means they detest each other" Causing the elf to look at the young man amusedly.

Marcus scoffed. "It goes a long way since we were children, we never could get along. And I fear it only got worse with the years"

"Like the time she described your swordsmanship 'like a madman dancing by flailing his arms around'" His father dryly prompted, "and you said her horse riding had the same grace of a 'druffalo after ten pints of ale'?"

"...Yes, like that"

The young noble turned and glared at the sight of Miara giggled at his expense. "Do slightly agree on the sword skills though."

"Ha. Ha," Marcus droned before he rolled his eyes.

The elf got control of herself but still smiled with mirth; "Well as a guard I think I'll walk around the halls for a bit." She gave a bow to the men before excusing herself.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

It did not take her long to return to her room, where upon closing the door she casted a silence rune on it, the magic affecting the entire guest chamber, stopping any sounds from being detected by the outside. It was a routine thing she did every few days, necessary safety measures whenever she needed to communicate with her family about their current whereabouts and activities.

She sat on the bed and held her right hand in front of her face, the sapphire gemstone ring glowing slightly as she channeled her magic. The sending crystal activated, prompting a link to establish between the other four rings that were bound to it. The signal was sent, if they were available they would answer.

A small speck of light floated over the ring, indicating someone had answered. " _Hello?_ " Serana's voice came through, the dot of light lightly vibrating in the air as its form seemed to shudder like water whenever the other side spoke.

"Hey love" Miara said with a smile.

" _Burned down a castle yet_?" Serana's voice replied amused.

The elf rolled her eyes, "Am I a flame atronach?"

" _Ohhh no silly me, you're just a dragon. FAR LESS likely to burn stuff down_ "

"Sometimes I think I should have left you in that crypt..."

" _You'd miss this hot ass of mine_ "

It was at that moment that another dot of light appeared over the ring, Serana's dot moving away a bit to make room. " _Why are we discussing butts_?" Came Sarya's voice.

" _Oh, speaking of disasters waiting to happen by your mother_ " Serana said amused.

Miara rolled her eyes as two other dots came to life as the elf's oldest spoke; " _You do realize when saying that they do actually happen right?_ "

" _Oh hush_!" Serana nearly yelled in embarrassment in her tone.

"So how is everyone?" The matriarch of the family soon asked as she sighed.

Oryrn grunted; " _Made it to a place called Crestwood. Got a round of odd looks at my armor, even more so when taking off my helmet_."

" _Hope they are polite to you as the Dalish been thus far to me_." Sarya's sarcasm could rival Serana's at that moment; " _You'd think they never seen a grey skinned elf before_."

Everyone paused as a groan came from both Miara and Serana; "You removed your cover?!"

" _Just when I got into the forest. And by what I heard about Dalish, they have no love for the humans much. So why hide what I look like to our cousins. And they thought I was a demon and attacked me_..."

Miara pinched her nose, dread and worry washing over her. Not for youngest daughter though. "Please, please tell me you didn't kill anyone..."

" _Oh please of course I didn't_!" Sarya sounded offended. " _Took a bit of effort, but once they stopped shooting arrows at me their two leaders came and we began talking. After that they were just so fascinated by me!_ "

"Honey, what did we talk about stroking your own ego?"

" _Well they are! Oh and so eager to learn about the merfolk in Tamriel. Their development is as tragic as it is fascinating. While at their current state one might compare them to the tribalistic bosmer, excluding the cannibalism, the knowledge they've shared with me and my studies from their ruins show their culture actually shared much in common with post-Aldmer civilization such as the Altmer and the Ayleids. This goes to show that even post fracturing of the original continent that was Aldmeris_ -"

" _So Sofie!_ " Serana quickly interrupted before Sarya's rant could progress any further. " _What have you been doing?_ "

" _Nothing as eventful as you would expect_ " The eldest replied. " _Came across a few towns, fought a few monsters, nothing major. Finally stopped at a village called Lothering, where a lot of refugees have actually been staying with the Darkspawn rising up in the south. Lot of people lost their homes to the monsters, so I decided to stick around for a bit, see what I could do to help_ "

" _Have you run into any trouble?_ " Oryrn asked.

" _The most direct problem these people have are bandits taking advantage of them and the wildlife, easy peasy for me. Met some... interesting folks here_ " Her voice soon gained an excited tone. " _Ohhh there is this lay-sister who sings with the prettiest voice. Reminds me when you sing, mom_ "

"Oh?" A coy smile graced Miara's lips. "Is she pretty?"

" _Gorgeous_ " Sofie said slowly. " _Blue eyes and the most red shade of hair you can imagine. Lovely as a dream_ "

" _Sofie's got a girlfriend_ ~" Sarya singsong.

The eldest scoffed. " _Grow up you_ "

Serana slyly said, " _Seen what she looks that under those robes yet_?"

Oryrn drawled out; " _Are we really discussing Sofie getting a member of the clergy to bed? I'm pretty sure that's making them break their vows_..."

" _LAY-sister, she said_ " Serana reminded him. " _Meaning, no vows yet_ ~"

" _About the only thing on my end was a runaway elven mage being chased by Thedas Templars_ ," Oryrn Interrupted as his family went silent. " _She did not want to be stuck in Kinloch Hold circle. The Templars were not kind._ "

" _You killed them?_ " Sarya asked with an edge to her tone.

" _They were remarkably well versed in combat. But I proved their better and sent them back. Currently with the said mage and I are in some old abandoned fort_."

It was then a young female voice spoke up; " _You can communicate through magically enchanted rings_?!"

Miara blinked; "And you are sweetie?"

" _Uh...Sorry, Adalora ma'am. Your son saved my life_." The elf soon began to go into hysterics. " _What the hell was I thinking, listening to Anders of all people? 'The Templars won't even realize until it's too late' my ass! First chance he had he got rid of me, the jerk! They nearly caught me and were gonna put me back in the tower but I couldn't take it anymore, but now I have to spend my life on the run and-!_ "

" _Breath Adalora, breath_ " Oryrn calmly assured her. " _You'll be fine_ "

They heard a slow deep breathing. " _Yeah... Yeah, okay. I'm okay_ "

" _Hmm_ " Sarya made a curious sound. " _How did the Templars find you_?"

" _O-Oh_ " The Thedosian elf stammered. " _They have a magical artifact called a phylactery. It's a_ -"

" _Reliquary containing the blood of a mage, am I right_?" Sarya quickly deduced much to the other elf's surprise. " _Yes, we are familiar with the concept of phylacteries back in Tamriel, but we don't really use them for tracking_ "

" _I-I see. Anyway, yes they still have my phylactery. So long as they have it they can track me. It glows when in proximity of the mage whose blood is in the reliquary_ "

" _A-ha_ " The youngest daughter made a sound of understanding. " _Would you like to travel beyond their reach, to a land far away_?"

"Sarya..." Miara said in a warning tone. "I feel sympathy for these mages too, but DON'T do anything rash"

" _Mother, the College of Winterhold, a number of mage guilds, and the academy in Cyrodiil. She will be safer there than anywhere here that's for damn sure_!" Sarya said with absolute conviction.

Well, that was true... But it was still a gamble, yet a single life would not make much a difference in the grand scheme of things. "Very well"

" _Y-you'd let me go to your lands?_ " the Thedosian elf sounded near desperately hopeful. " _But what about Templars_?"

" _Adalora I told you, Templars in Tamriel are holy knights of the Nine Divines. Myself included as I explained_." Oryrn said in a calm understanding tone.

" _S-sorry... It's just being in the circle for so long, and being around the Templars I know of... It's a bit scary_."

That nailed it for the matriarch; "Adalora I promise Tamriel will be safe for you. Send her to the college of Winterhold. We have quite a few friends there and they will help you, understood?"

Serana sighed; " _It will be weird at first given all the vast races of our lands. But the college will help you._ "

"So, what do you say girl?" Miara asked.

" _I._.." She paused for a moment before sighing. " _I don't have any family here, nothing that really ties me down to Thedas... Yes, I want to start over, I want to go somewhere else_ "

" _Okie dokie_!" Sarya excitedly said. " _Hey Merrill! I'm heading off for a bit, can you tell the others I'll be back soon?_ " She called to someone.

They heard a somewhat distant and muffled heavily accented voice, yet could still make out the words and pick up the disappointment in them. " _Awww, but you were going to teach me how to play Legends_ "

" _I'll do it when I get back, don't you worry_ " She then once more spoke directly to the link. " _Hang on, I'll be right over_ " They heard the familiar hum of magic on her end.

" _Wait, what did she mean by-HOLY CRAP_!" The Thedosian elf screamed and by the sounds of it fell on her butt. " _D-D-Did you just teleport? Across MILES_?!"

" _Yeah, pretty neat huh. Gotta love Mark and Recall runes. Now, give me your hand I'll take you to a super awesome place where you can learn some real magic_!"

Miara heard her son groan but kept Adalora calm; " _my twin sister Sarya. You can trust her and the people at the college too. Just be prepared about meeting the college Librarian_."

" _Why_?"

At that Sofie gave her peace; " _You have to see for yourself dear. Trust me we cannot put it to words_."

" _O-oh. Okay...Um, thank you all_."

Sarya giggled; " _No sweat, now get ready to have some real fun_!"

Another familiar hum of magic, " _And they're off_ " Oryrn informed.

" _Well that escalated quickly_ " Sofie offered her modest opinion. " _Think our presence here is affecting things a lot_?"

Serana snorted, " _Oh please, your mom causes catastrophic Fate-related events just by walking around_ "

"I don't CAUSE them" Miara growled, "I get TRAPPED in them same as everyone else!"

The son ignored the all too familiar rant, " _I hope Adalora has a better life there, from what I heard from her the Chantry and Templars can be very dictatorial and dogmatic_ "

"... _We should really keep an eye on Sarya when we can_ " Sofie worriedly advised, " _Last thing we need is her setting fire at every single thing that annoys her about those people_ "

At that, the others couldn't agree more.

They continued talking casually for five more minutes about what they had been up to lately, Miara keeping them up to date with her recent activities with the Cousland, when Sarya finally returned to the link.

" _Well that was fun, dropped in right in front of a class to introduce her and she threw up! Side effects of first long range teleportation for someone of her constitution I imagine_ " Sarya said chirpily.

" _Now that's an ice-breaker_ " Serana droned, already imagining that from now to the rest of her life Adalora would be known as 'Vomit Girl'.

"At any rate please everyone keep out of trouble," Miara advised.

Serana snorted; " _I'm keeping to the shadows following that Grey Warden and his recruit. Overheard them saying they were going to the circle now_." The Nordic vampire made a light noise; " _have to say though, I'm keeping myself well hidden, but that Warden can tell someone is following them_."

" _Sharp senses_ ," Sofie spoke up in respect.

"Just keep to the shadows," the dragonborn adjusted on her bed; "learn what you can about the Wardens and that Circle."

" _Naturally love_."

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

After getting a few hours of rest for night duty she woke to find Fergus had already left, that was fine, and she had already said her goodbyes to him and had wished him luck. Bryce would be following tomorrow morning.

Meanwhile, she started her first run of patrolling the castle walls. Not the most glamorous job she had taken, but she liked these people and didn't actually mind doing this for them. When she got to the southern wall did the boredom start to set it, hmm, perhaps she could think of ways to properly set her deck next time she played against Sarya in Legends. No matter what anyone said, she was going to use lots of dragon cards no matter how cost-expensive they were.

Her ears twitched as she heard the faint sound of steps. Oho, someone was stalking her weren't they? Unfortunately for them long years of experienced and an enhanced hearing alerted her on such things. It would take a much more prepared rogue, likely wearing some muffle enchantment or invisibility, to get the drop on her.

She humored the would-be assailant when he drew a dagger, still not turning until he was very, very close...

The moment the dagger lunged for her back she moved away, grabbing his arm and twisting it at a painful angle without much effort, the dagger fell from his grasp as he shouted in agony.

"And what have we here?" She smiled, finding the situation to be quite humorous. "Alright, I'll give you a chance to tell me who sent you. You don't strike me as a 'mastermind' type who does things himself" He looked very unremarkable to her, the sort whose face gets lost in a crowd. This was actually a good thing for a rogue.

"You fucking knife-ear, I'll AHH!" He shouted again as she twisted his arm further.

"Knife ear? Oh honey that insult has long since gone out of style where I come from" Miara said unimpressed. "Now, start talking before I lose my patience and you lose your arm" She slowly added more pressure until something cracked.

"ARL HOWE!" He shouted, making her blood freeze. "Arl Howe ordered me to take you out as he assaults the castle!"

It was then the shouts of violence rang out throughout within the castle itself. Not letting go of her attempted killer, her eyes turned as she saw Howe's men attacking both guards and servants indiscriminately!

The rogue let out a chuckle; "What do you expect? All nobles are just snakes waiting to back-stab each other." His twisted sense of humor turned to wild shrieks of agony as his body soon was set ablaze. Miara paid no attention as the rogue flailed as his body burned before falling to his death as he fell over the wall's edge.

Miara kept her sight on the castle before dashing at her top speed, whatever the reason was, Howe fully intended to erase the Cousland bloodline from Thedas.

"You will burn in the depths of the Deadlands when I find you Rendon Howe!" Her voice roared with utter rage as she drew both Dragonbane and Dawnbreaker. But first, save those who had become her dear friends.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Everything had moved in a blur. One moment, Marcus and Iona were speaking to each other after making love. The next, a servant had burst through the door in hysterics of an attack before an arrow pierce is throat. The youngest son of Bryce moved fast as his rolled himself and Iona out of the bed before another arrow claimed either of their lives. The assailant was soon brought down by the massive jaws of Loke who clamped down and soon mauled the man to death.

Iona only couldn't stop her heart from racing as she stared at arrow lodged in pillow. "W-What's going on?"

Marcus had his focus on the torn body of the attacker as Loke came over; "Will find out." He shifted back to his lover; "Get dressed; we have to get Amethyne and find out what's happening."

Though frightened, she gave a brief nod as both got on some clothes. Realizing putting on armor would not be quick enough; Marcus donned some thick leathers and grabbed his swords. The couple plus hound made for the door hearing a battle cry seeing a man in fully armor charge only for two arrows to pierce his throat and head.

The enraged eyes of Eleanor also in leather gears glared as he held her trusty bow; "Attack my family and you will pay," her voice seethed with anger.

"Mother!" Marcus rushed to her. "The symbol on their gear..."

He didn't want to believe it, it just could not be true. He's been their friends of the family for years; he had fought side by side with father. Howe just couldn't...

"Questions later" She rushed towards Fergus' room, kicking the door open, and her heart shuddered at the sight. Marcus' drew a sharp intake of air as Iona covered her mouth in horror, tears ran down her cheeks.

On the floor was Oriana; on her stomach was a deep gash that poured forth blood, making a puddle around her. Not far from her was one of Howe's men, dead on the ground with his throat cut. The bloody knife on Oriana's hand and the stained sword on the soldier painted a clear picture of what had happened. Her last act to protect the children.

The children who were currently huddling in a corner, crying their eyes out. Iona swiftly run to them and embraced them, Amethyne and Oren wailed in fright, their young minds not fully able to understand what was going on, why this nightmare was happening.

"Oh Oriana" Eleanor sobbed in grief as she knelt before her daughter-in-law's body, "Fergus I'm so sorry..."

Though Marcus' heart ached with grief, it was soon filled with righteous anger. Howe had betrayed them, ordered the death of their family. He cared not for whatever goal the arl had, Marcus did not know and he did not care. He was going to make him pay.

But first, he had his family to protect. He had already failed Oriana; he would not further fail Fergus by letting anyone else die tonight.

The sounds of footsteps drew his attention and immediately went on alert; he held his swords tightly as he suspected more of Howe's men were coming. His mother wiped her tears, her eyes swollen with grief, pain, and rage, and quickly drew her bow. They went out to the hall and were met by the sight of five of Howe's men coming for them. The teyrn's wife knocked an arrow and prepared to let loose.

But the arrow was never shot, as arcs of lightning suddenly enveloped the soldiers as though a storm had suddenly manifested right inside the castle. Their screams soon ended along with their lives as they feel to the ground, their corpses smoking.

Over their bodies walked Miara, her left hand shrouded in electricity which soon vanished as she looked at them in worry. "Are you okay?"

Mother and son looked at her astonished, Marcus was the first to gather himself and said the first thing that came to mind, "You're a mage?!"

"I'm a lot of things dear." She counted Eleanor, Marcus and soon Iona with Amethyne and Oren; "Oriana?" She was met with grave silence save the crying children and a whimpering Loke. A deep growl came from the elf as her rage boiled; "Dur Daar nikriin!" She shouted before calming herself. Her eyes turned to Eleanor; "I saw two corpses in a guest room. That friend of yours and her son."

"Landra... Dairren," The Teyrna's voice was almost hollow as she shook her head. Iona only looked in deep shock, despite her lady's alcoholism; Lady Landra was a good decent woman. Same for her son who was always respectful to her and her daughter, they did not deserve this!

"We have to focus. I need to get you all out of here," Miara gained everyone's attention as her voice spoke with steel and full of authority.

Eleanor came up beside her son; "We must get to the Cousland sword and find my husband. Bryce has to be somewhere."

"I'd think your lives matter more than some sword?" Miara cocked a delicate brow.

"That sword goes back to the time of Bann Haelia Cousland during the werewolf crisis in the Black Age. It's a symbol of our family"

Miara simply gave a scowl. "Alright, we get that sword and search for Bryce. But someone needs to protect Iona and the children and get them to safety" She thought quietly for a moment as she paced.

She did not use this Shout often. To call upon the honored heroes from the beyond, it always felt... off with her for a number of reasons. First was that the Shout reminded her of necromancy (which she avoided in any form if she wanted to keep Dawnbreaker), but often reminded herself it wasn't enslavement, it was a 'Call', an invitation. And she knew the spirits would hungrily seek to fight gloriously once more.

A part of her, the dragon most likely, did not want that help. She was powerful, to need aid from beyond the grave was like saying her own power was not enough. But this wasn't about her, now was not the time for her pride to get in the way.

It was either this or invoking a daedra, and THAT brought too many problems...

She took a deep breath and exclaimed, " **Hun** " Hero. Shor's halls were filled with them.

" **Kaal** " Champion. The honored souls of Sovngarde were its warriors, even in death their battles did not end.

" **ZOOR**!" Legend. Songs were still sung to their glory.

Her Shout tore at reality itself, reaching into Aetherius as her call echoed through the infinite depths of Sovngarde, its residence looked up eagerly as the Dragonborn made her call. Many sought to fight at her side, though few would have the honor like the Three Tongues had.

Yet it was not they who answered, but another. None disputed his right.

The ghost before her made Miara's eyes water, as his ghostly shade washed away and gave way to a more physical form. The same furs and wolf themed plate, the same warhammer, the same long beard, the aged face of a warrior who had lived to see many winters. The same eyes, though once tired and weary, now alight with the fire of his youth.

In the few times she had used this Shout, it had always been the Three who answered. So to see this person in front of her once again not only caused her mind to cease for a moment, but also for her heart to ache with joy.

"Long has it been since I last saw you, pup"

"Kodlak..."

Miara's lower lip trembled as smiled soon formed. Without even thinking she had closed the distance and briefly embraced her dear friend. The white wolf chuckled as he returned the embrace; "You look well pup."

Detecting from their hug, Miara only smiled as she rubbed away a few tears; "Much better now seeing you, you old grohiik!" Kodlak only laughed as the two turned to see the dumbfounded faces of Marcus, Eleanor, and Iona. The children only looked wide eyed in awe.

The old Harbinger gave a glance to his former protégé; "So why are they gawking like newborns?"

"Maybe because they just saw me summon a ghost?" Miara couldn't help but snark, even as the smile wouldn't leave her face. She'd love nothing more than to talk to the old man, but now wasn't the time. "I need you to help me" She pointed at Iona and the children. "Take them away, away from the castle, away from the city even. I'll find you in the outskirts to the south. Don't worry I'll find you"

"What?" Marcus muttered in disbelief.

"I haven't been completely honest with you, I admit it" Miara spoke. "But I promise you, you can trust me. You can trust him"

Maker he had to be going insane to even be considering it but...

"Your father was with Howe" His mother desperately said.

That was it then.

"Alright" He slowly nodded. "I'll trust you" He looked at Kodlak fiercely in the eye. "You will protect them with your life"

"Hah!" The old Harbinger barked a laugh. "Boy is that phrase is rather moronic" He hefted his large warhammer. "But don't you worry, nothing will get pass me" He looked at the elven women with the children in her hands. "Come on, you will need to guide me"

Iona closed the distance between herself and Marcus, sharing one last kiss before parting. "I'll see you two again, I swear... Go!"

No other words were necessary, Iona escaped with the children in tow, and the Dragonborn knew they'd be safe with Kodlak. No mortal man would best a spirit empowered by Sovngarde itself.

"We have little time, quickly!" The Cousland matriarch shouted as she led the way.

Howe's soldiers stood in their way as they ran through the halls, but were met by the deadly precision of Eleanor's bow, the swiftness of Marcus' swords, the ferocity of Loke's bite, and the onslaught that was the dance of Miara's magic and swordplay. Arcs of lightning struck with ferocity, jumping between bodies and leaving smoking corpses in their path, those that managed to get close were swiftly cut down by Miara's blades, she took no joy in this fight; she just kept killing them as they foolishly charged at them.

"The armory!" Eleanor pointed at the other side of the hall, throwing Marcus a key. "Get the sword!"

He did not wait a second longer, marching through the empty barracks and opening the lock to the armory. In the farthest end of the room was a magnificently crafted sword that seemed to shine even in the darkness. The sword of his ancestors, the symbol of his lineage.

In another time, Marcus would have held the sword with the proper reverence it deserved. But time was of the essence, so he threw one of his blades asides and grabbed it before quickly rejoining the others.

The trio plus war hound tore through Howe's men while saving either servants who ran to safety or soldiers who joined them. Entering the main hall they found the most fighting with even mages working for Howe who attacked with their magics.

Ser Gilmore led the charge against the invaders while further away Mother Mellol was watching other several frightened servants and the Greybacks acting as guards. The battle was joined as Marcus roared along with Miara and Eleanor who charged with the extra men and Loke against Howe's forces.

What Howe's mages were not expecting was their attack spells being repelled by some elven women holding an odd curved sword. Miara only snarled at the sight of seeing so many brave Highever soldiers had fell against these scum who served a traitorous snake! An orange hue came from her mouth. " **Yol Toor shul**!" A stream of pure fire came from the woman's mouth engulfing Howe's mages who screamed in sheer pain agony. "Oblivion awaits you all!" Miara roared as her shout ended.

Her gaze turned to non-mages of Howe's men who were now being taking down with ease. Though shocked gazes were on the face of every person as they turned and stared at the elven woman; "I'll explain later, Howe's a bigger issue."

"R-right," Ser Gilmore sigh as he leaned against the wall as their men put everything they could to barricade the door. "Marcus, my lady. Your both safe..." Relief washed over him as ruefully smiled.

"So are Iona, Amethyne, and Oren... But Oriana, Landra, and Dairren…" Marcus's voice trailed off as he grimly looked to the ground.

Miara looked around the hall before her eyes looked wide at a fallen knight. Her steps were slow before knelt down with a mournful gaze; "Ser Ector..."

He fought till the very end as he still gripped his sword. Part of his armor was blackened, signs of fire magic or lightning. She bowed her head offering a silent prayer to Arkay to watch over this noble warrior.

"Bar the gate!" Marcus ordered, and the soldiers wasted no time in closing the gates, pushing their bodies against it to stop enemy reinforcements from coming through. The gate shuddered and banged as Howe's soldiers tried to bring it down from their side, but the men and women of Highever would not relent.

"Where is my husband?" Eleanor quickly demanded.

"Lord Cousland said he was going to the kitchen pantry" Ser Gilmore answered. "He said you were to meet him there"

"The kitchen?" The notion was absurd to Marcus.

"There's a hidden passage there" His mother informed him. That... was news to him, but did not question it at the moment, that was exactly what they needed right now.

"You go" The elf spoke in a strong commanding voice, holding her sword tightly. "I'll hold them off" She said glaring at the banging door. "Will meet you later so I can guide you to Iona and the children"

"Are you sure?"

"The moment they cross that door, your men will die" Miara grimly told him. "But if I'm here, it is they who shall fall today" It wasn't an arrogant claim; it was a mere statement of a fundamental truth.

Eleanor was quiet for a moment before she gave a nod; "Very well. All of you survive this night! Howe will pay for this treachery!" The Teyrna and her son along with Loke made their way for the kitchen.

Miara drew Dawnbreaker as her eyes stayed fixed to the gates; "Soldiers of Highever!" Her voice rang through the hall like steel. "A coward bares his fangs as he tries to slaughter you and your teyrn's line! Stand with me, and let us show these bastards why Highever soldiers are not to be trifled with!"

Every soldier gazed at the woman before them. Mother Mellol, the Greybacks, and the surviving servants also stared at the elf that stood ready to fight for them. "Why?" the chantry mother asked; "you are not from Thedas and yet you stand with us. You have no reason to even remain here, and yet you still fight. Why?" Why was this heathen trying to protect them so fiercely.

"Because it's the right thing to do," Miara responded with utter resolution. "Yes I am foreigner; I know some of you do not trust me. And yes I have no reason to spill blood to help save any of you."

"So why do it?" The mother asked once more.

"Because only a coward turns away from helping those in need. And those who have the skills and knowledge to fight and STILL do nothing?! Are worse than cowards!"

The door banged once again, the wood and metal was beginning to break and bend.

"So let these honorless curs come!" She spun her blades. "Make them pay for what they did to your home and your people!"

The knights held their weapons, their eyes shining like hungry wolves eager for prey. The soldiers at the gate backed away; just in time for the final bang to blow the doors open. Howe's men stepped through.

Only to meet their demise at the hands furious Highever men and women spearheaded by a whirlwind of blades of arcane powers, no quarter was given, no mercy offered, the Highever warriors paid blood with blood.

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This nightmare just wouldn't end.

His father's ragged breath was wet; he had lost so much blood there was a large puddle had formed underneath him. The wound was too deep; no potion on their person could fix this damage.

His mother cried as she embraced his father's head, pressing him tightly against her, desperately holding on to him. "Please, Bryce y-you can't..."

"I've done" He coughed, "all I could for you... I just pray it was enough, this life I gave you"

Marcus couldn't stop the tears in his eyes. What kind of nonsense was that? His father's the greatest man he's ever known. Loke whine pitifully, unable to do anything, the hound knew licking his wounds would help none.

"Leave, please..." He weekly begged them. "You need... to survive"

"I won't leave you!" Eleanor cried out.

"You have to, my love" He gasped. "For our family, you need to be there" He smiled, "You always... know what to do and say" He weakly held up one of her hands to his lips, planting one last tender kiss.

His wife wailed in grief, a lifetime together flashing before her eyes.

"Marcus, find your brother" His father gave him one last order. "You must... not allow our line to... end like this!" He coughed up blood.

His youngest shakily nodded. "I swear it, father. We shall have vengeance"

"Yes..." One last moment of defiance, the righteous rage of a proud Cousland shone in his eyes. "Vengeance"

He held his father's hand for just one time, treasuring every single second of it.

"You're all are my greatest pride"

Marcus guided his mother away down through the secret passage, their hearts breaking as Highever burned.

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 **For those who wish to be in the know:**

 **Next** : Anbu Sennin: A Final Fantasy VII Story 'Two chapters'

 **Followed by** : Naruto: Shoton of Konoha 'Two chapters'

 **And return to** : Dragon Age Origins: Dovahkiin 'Two chapters'


	5. Tabris

_**Disclaimer**_ _:_ We do not own Dragon Age or The Elder Scroll Series

 _ **Co-Author and Beta**_ : Etheral-23

 **Tabris**

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There aren't many ways an elf can earn a living. Your options were to either serve under a human and hope they weren't too bad, tolerate a foul mouthed patron because you needed the money, or try your own luck at owning a business.

The last one usually had very little success if you didn't have any kind of human backer. Even in the Alienage owning your own business just got you perhaps one more loaf of bread on the table.

Or you could live up to the stereotypes the humans had for you, because you had no other choice. Be just another thieving knife-ear as they said.

Gin Tabris cared little at this point. An elf in Thedas had to fight every day to survive; doing whatever one could just to make sure your family could eat.

Slim Couldry had set him up with his 'friends' long ago, they had taught him how to be unseen (it wasn't hard for an elf to be ignored), how to move his fingers so deftly and quickly the pompous people wouldn't even realize anything was missing until it was too late. It was sad that the only humans he could count on were thieves, at least many of them understood what it was to grow up poor, Couldry being a half elf himself who grew up in the Alienage.

His green eyes scanned through the crowd around the market, the shaggy brown locks of hair that framed his face swayed lightly as he did, he wore a simple shirt and pants with boots. The fingers on his right hand flexed in preparation as he spotted his target, a man with a belly far too large and a coin purse far too big, he probably made more money in a day than what an elf did in a year. He was currently eying the gems on a stand, as though he didn't have enough already in fat ring-clad fingers.

Gin saw nothing wrong about stealing from nobles, they had it coming. And most importantly, he did not care. He moved among the crowd, his lithe frame mixing among them, nobody paying any attention to him as his hand reached out for the purse, a swift tug with the right pressure and the bag was his, the noble did not even notice.

He moved into an alley, disappearing amongst the shadows as he counted his haul. Not bad, a few sovereigns, fifteen pieces of silver, and nearly double the amount of coppers. Gin felt rather good about himself.

If his father saw him now, he'd be beyond disappointed. The pessimistic side of him reminded him grimly.

Well, it was a good thing his father would never find out.

While thinking of his father he paused, remembering what was in store for him tomorrow. He let a long sigh before he shook it off. Nothing he could do about that, arranged marriages were a part of their people's way of life in the Alienage. Did not mean he had to like though, but he was resigned to his fate.

Despite that fact his heart already belonged to another... And she was hurting as much as he was about it.

Gin shook his head again before gazing back out from the alley. His eyes soon took notice of a tall cloaked hooded figure who was speaking that dwarf weapon merchant Gorim. By Andraste that person was tall, he had heard rumors of an Avvar woman whose been roaming Denerim for a while now. But he had not paid any attention to it.

By what little he could see through the open front of the cloak she wore very refined clothing. Hmm, Gin did not think she'd mind sharing what she had in her coin purse. The elf grew a faint smirk on his lips, she'd never know till later anyways.

He kept his eyes on the Avvar woman as she conversed with Gorim. They must have been joking as they both started to laugh before the woman said her farewells. Now he could move as she walked through the crowd.

The people around him barely took notice of his presence as he casually followed his new target. Thanks to Couldry his boots were silent as he glided through the shem and getting closer and closer to the cloaked Avvar. It bore repeating that this had to be the tallest shem he's ever seen, one of the tallest people period. And he's at least seen one of those qunari at least once, and it bore pointing out that those horned people were HUGE!

Getting his hands inside her cloak would be a bit tricky (that sounded creepy, but then again he was planning on robbing her), but he had done more difficult challenges. It still brought a smile to his face remembering when he, Couldry and his friends stole a prized sword collection from noble's own armory. The sight of the stuck up shem bawling his eyes out never failed to cheer him up.

As he stalked his new mark, he quirked an eyebrow as the woman suddenly took a turn to leave the market into one of the numerous alleys. He briefly pondered abandoning his objective, more chances the woman would see him if didn't blend with the crowd, but it wasn't like Gin didn't know how to sneak through the shadows as well. Might as well see if the shem had left herself open.

The busy streets seemed to disappear behind them, Gin carefully moved in between every corner and large enough object he could find, be it barrels or crates, always making sure the shadows concealed him. The woman sighed audibly in the shade, as in great relief.

"Damned sun..." He heard her mutter with displeasure as she reached into her belt and pulled out a flask, the movement opening her cloak and letting the items attached to her belt become visible once more. The green eyed elf grinned as he saw the purse.

She drank the flask's contents greedily, as though she desperately needed them. Well, a drunk shem was much easier to mug. Gin wasted no time and moved close in a crouched position, the woman's head was still thrown back as she took in gulp after gulp of her drink.

Gin's hand slowly reached forward, his fingers nearly brushing against the coin purse.

Only for the woman's hand to snap in a flash of movement, grabbing his wrist in a painful vice-like grip. His eyes frightfully widened as his heart throbbed in panic. The woman slowly set down her flask, her gaze bearing into him with piercing intensity. Though her green eyes looked a lot like his own there was something... unnatural about them.

"Well, well. A little thieving rat seeks to bite more than he can chew"

With zero effort she raised him up from his crouch position as her hooded face leaned closer to Gin's. Her beauty was... otherworldly, she said nothing as their eyes were locked onto each other's. The hooded Avvar lifted her flask; "You know, what I have to brew to make this crap does not nearly taste as good as the real thing."

Her tone was both sultry and predatory with a smile that soon formed her lips. His body went rigid; his eyes had grown large as he swore he saw two long sharp fangs. It took all his will to bite back the fear as he tried to free his wrist. "Oh, you don't want to play now?"

A shocked gasp left his lips as he plopped onto the ground. Gin did not think how he freed himself, not realizing she 'let him' go as he ran as fast as his feet could take him.

Serana let out an amused chuckle; "Brynjolf would like him."

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Gin was not sure how long he ran from the market But soon found himself out of breathe in a remote district of Denerim. His lungs burned as he leaned against an old shack taking in as much air as he could. Sweat dripped from his face; never in his life did he feel that kind of fear!

He's had his run ins with guards, lied to get away from trouble and only succeeded by the skin of his teeth. Personally stole from nobles who could easily put his head on a spike. Faced all the dangers an elven thief like him could possibly go through, but that woman... for reasons beyond himself, he felt that woman was a danger beyond any other thing that could possibly threaten his life.

Like he nearly stole from a hungry wolf, and this one would devour him without a second thought.

He pressed a hand to his chest, as though he could reach into his thundering heart and calm it. Gin slowly evened his breathing, trying to regain control. It took him a few minutes before his heart settled, he slowly slid down the wall and sat on the ground with an audible 'thump'. The elf let out a long sigh as he placed his hands on his head.

His current 'winnings' of the day would have to suffice. He wasn't in the right state to do another job after that horrifying woman had given him the fright of his life.

Gin took a deep breath as he stood up and dusted himself off, perhaps it was time he went back to the Alienage. He didn't have to worry about making a convincing lie for his father, technically he never did, and he did in fact work for Couldry. The man was a merchant indeed... he just did business 'on the sly' away from prying eyes, and Gin was more than happy to help him.

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A long suffering groan escaped from Gin as he entered the Alienage seeing people setting up decorations for tomorrow's 'joyous' event. Well he could say his cousin Soris would be joining in on the misery...

The elf let loose another sigh as he took a sit on the stone steps with a solemn gaze in no particular direction. Marriage... Sure he's thought about it, especially his dream being with the person he truly loved. Still, Gin let out a scoff, how the hell do you raise a family in a place like this?

His thoughts roamed to his 'fiancé', he really had nothing against her. As he heard from his father and the elder, Neisara was good and strong willed woman. A beauty who matched Iona if any of Soris's tales rang true. Though he wondered how she'd feel marrying a lowly thief?

This really wasn't the course he saw his life taking, but Gin was resigned to his fate. An elf could only get so far in Thedas, though he supposed he would end up far better than most of his kin. In some regards he was more fortunate, having at least a home and a loving family.

He could see his fellow elves were at least happy with the upcoming wedding, there were few reasons for the Alienage to celebrate anything as it were. Gin rubbed his neck, chosen partner or not, he really should step up and at least make sure his bride Neisara would have a husband that would look out for her and provide. Perhaps his days of thievery were over... but Gin knew better. The only way an elf would get anything was if he took it by whatever means necessary.

Such was the live for his kin here, there was no changing it.

...Even if some claimed otherwise.

Gin still remembered the strange elven woman that arrived one day to the Alienage, sharing tales so grand they couldn't possibly be true. A whole continent beyond the sea to the east. Elves, free elves, who lived worthy lives, who had homes, KINGDOMS, to call their own...

Gin tried to imagine it, but for the life of him he just couldn't.

At best that Miara knew how to spin a good story. Likely to hide how things were really just like here. Now that made sense to him. If nothing else she entertained everyone about this Tamriel, truth or not.

"So this is where you've been hiding?"

A feminine voice broke his thoughts before looking up before a rueful grin crept on his face; "Looking for me were you Shianni?"

In front of the sitting Gin stood an elven woman around his age. Short red hair with multiple small braids on either side, wearing a simple cotton dress and boots. Her brown eyes danced with partial annoyance as she glared at her cousin.

"Kind of hard to prepare one of the grooms for tomorrow's double wedding if he's not present," She crossed her arms under her bust. "Soris has been whining most of the day, and uncle has been looking everywhere for you."

At that Gin rubbed the back of his neck; "Was doing some 'work' at the market."

Shianni's only responded with a dry glare. "Work...Yeah..." She shook her head with a sigh; "How much did you 'earn' for today?" Her sarcasm as thick as the ocean.

"Maybe two months' worth of food and clothes." Gin stated with zero shame as he kept his grin.

His cousin ran her hands over her face; "What am I going to do with you..."

"Oh spare me; the shems aren't going to need the coin anytime soon"

"I would lecture you on morality, but I know better than to waste my breath. And... Okay, I'm not gonna lie and say some of those shems don't have it coming. At least we can put it to better use" She mumbled the last part as she give him a look; "So, still up for later?"

"Sure" He said with a shrug in an easy-going tone, it was necessary to keep up the act when in public. "See you then"

Shianni gave him a warm smile as she walked away, Gin followed her with his gaze until she was out of sight. He sighed as he rubbed his neck again. That was a conversation they needed to have yet neither of them was looking forward too.

Before that though, he needed to head back home and leave his things. His house wasn't far from the great tree so it did not take him long. They were 'wealthy' when compared to other elves, and that meant they at least could afford food that wasn't yet spoiled in a regular basis. Certainly their house was in a better condition than a lot of others in the Alienage, perhaps a better testimony to his father's wealth was the fact he had been able to arrange a marriage with another well to do elven family from Highever. His journey to his room to deposit the ill-gotten money was met with his father who was currently dusting off the furniture they had in their home. Always the home keeper, Gin thought fondly.

"Ah, hello there son" Cyrion was an elf whose age was beginning to show, in the graying of his hair and the wrinkling of his skin. Gin couldn't honestly say he had taken much from him in terms of look, owning that more to his mother. "How was work today?"

"Productive" Gin smiled easily, "You know Couldry, the man is fair" Though his smile wavered at his last mark of the day. "Got a bit hazy for a moment there"

"Oh?" Cyrion raised a brow in curiosity. "Did he have troubles with another merchant?"

"You could say that"

"It can be a cut throat business, you wouldn't believe the number of times I've seen humans double playing each other in that"

Gin let out a soft laugh; "Don't worry, you know I don't get caught in that" He always made sure of it.

"I know" His father smiled.

The younger elf went to the room he shared with his cousin Soris, finding said cousin laying on his bed as he thoughtfully stared at the ceiling. Soris let out a long sigh that made Gin roll his eyes barely paying him any mind as he tucked away the coin purse safely under his bed, beneath a loose tile.

"Good to see you haven't been wasting your day" The rogue said dryly.

"What am I to do, Gin?" Soris said miserably. "I don't have the first clue of what a husband is meant to do"

"I think among the first rules is; 'Don't cheat on your wife'. Which considering your usual luck with women that would be no problem at all" He smirked as he ducked a pillow thrown at him.

"Ha, ha" Soris glared at him. "I'm serious. Having to support your own family and all... I don't think I'm up to it"

"Hey Couldry gave you the chance to work for him multiple times. You wouldn't have to worry much about money then"

"And have the shems find out and cut off my hands? No thanks" Soris groaned he leant back on his bed. "Never had the skills you do, 'cus."

"Well, it's what we got" Gin said as he sat on his bed, joining his hands together. "We're elves in a human city. Ain't much we can do"

"Unless you do mercenary work like that Miara lady. How much do you think half of that gear she wore cost?" Soris eyed his cousin cocking his head.

At that Gin paused; "Didn't she say besides those two swords everything she had she made herself?" There was an enormous scene of pride in her voice when she spoke about her smithing trade. "Then again she probably stole it all for all we know."

Soris only gave his cousin a long dry gaze; "As always, we meet an elf from some far away land and your ever endearing pessimism shines through."

The rogue only shrugged as he lay down on his bed; "Makes more sense than all those stories she said about that Tamriel."

"Oh that soon to be wife of yours is going to have a time with you," Soris droned as he shook his head. "And of course you get the hot wife while I get the mouse."

Gin just rubbed his eyes.

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Well, the time finally came. There was no stopping it now.

It was nighttime, the darkly lit streets of the Alienage made it easier for him to sneak into one of the abandoned buildings at the lowermost corner of the district. Seldom if any soul ever passed through here, they had little reason too. These were rundown places, unfit to live in, and considering the general state of the Alienage that said something...

But Gin was fond of this old rundown place, many happy memories were made in this place. Simple times in which he could just... get away from the outside world. No human nobles, no poverty, no fake smiles when you had nothing to be thankful for in this harsh life an elf was forced to live.

Only the two of them. And that was always enough.

...But after tonight, those simple, beautiful moments would be no more. They both knew it, and there was nothing they could do about it

Demure arms wrapped around from behind as he felt her pressed against his back. Shianni felt light tears from her eyes as his warm larger hands embrace hers. Neither spoke as they let their embrace comfort them in their silence.

Neither were not really sure when it all began, but in honest truth they did not care. They had been close since they were children playing games with Soris. As they grew feelings grew to affection, and finally grew into love. Be damned what the society or the Chantry thought of their actions as sinful or disgusting. They had each other, and they loved each other with every fiber of their hearts.

They were happy, and that was all that mattered to them.

But now this arrange marriage had been made. And neither could stop it as much it brought them both heartache.

Gin felt Shianni's hands tighten; "I hate this..." her whisper was faint but full of emotion. She had been crying.

"You and me both. We probably should have run off last year when we had the chance."

He felt Shianni shake her head; "But we just couldn't leave our families like that." And that was the honest truth.

The rogue let out a weary sigh. "I think we both knew it would end up like this"

Maybe they had been fooling themselves for a long time, believing a lie in which they could just continue like this without consequence. But it was a happy lie, in which they found comfort with each other, in here, the one place where everything just made sense in this insane and unfair world.

They had spent a lot of time dreaming here. Of could be, what should be.

"Maybe" She conceded.

But eventually everyone has to wake up.

She let out a shuddering breath, "So then this is it?"

"...Yeah" How else could this work? Just keep the affair hidden even more than they already had?

They would be risking a lot. And while he was a thief, he could pride himself in not being a total bastard pig like some people can be.

He was to be wed tomorrow, their simpler and secret happier life was over now, Gin needed to see this through for their family.

Even if it meant to end the best thing that ever happened to him.

"I love you" Shianni breathed out.

Separating themselves, Gin turned and looks into his cousin's tearful eyes. His hands rested on the sides of her face; "I love you." His voice full of emotion.

In an instant she leaned up as their lips met. This night was their last, so they fully intended to make it as memorable as they could.

It was several hours before dawn as the lovers finally left each other returning to their respected homes. Both gaining as much or little sleep as they could. As the sun rose, their lives would be forever changed by the coming day...

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Serana kept to the shadows as she wandered into the Alienage, it was only out of curiosity to see how these elves here fared that she decided to observe from a distance, and perhaps she'd even see that little thief. As the morning sun rose and people were already active for today's event. A double wedding, well if nothing else it wasn't going to be in a temple. She recalled the last time someone brought up marriage to her and Miara and they both laughed.

As far as they concerned themselves they did not need a ring to solidify their love for each other. Which she still find hard to believe considering how they first met they nearly killed one another.

They had started as enemies. She was a shriveled monstrous thing that awoke to a world that had changed so much in her absence. Why, she didn't even known what kind of elf Miara was, and at that moment in time she didn't care, all she saw was a body that radiated power, full of mighty blood that would quench a great thirst that had not been satiated in thousands of years.

She lunged to her neck... and then the elf shouted her into the crypt.

Oh it took every trick Serana had at her disposal to get Miara and her party to spare her life, even more so to make sure the Elder Scroll remained in her grasp. She wanted to take her to the Dawnguard Fort, and Serana had complied under the promise that she would feed first, weakened as she would, Serana would have become ashes in the sun, and then the elf would be without answers.

So they were kind enough to take her to a bandit camp and let her run wild. Oh the sensation of feeding after so long was simply orgasmic.

She had rejuvenated on the spot, her strength returning once again. Then Serana had turned to the elf and her companions, gave them her most sincere thanks... and flew into the night, towards her family's castle.

The string of curses that could be heard echoing throughout the mountains made her laugh all the way.

Then she arrived home... and remembered that her family had not parted ways kindly.

Her father, always hard, cold, and ruthless; he had become even more uncaring if that was even possible. The first thing he asked her after millennia of absence was to see if she had the Elder Scroll...

Serana had seen what he'd been doing, inciting war against other vampire clans, boldly attacking the mortals... Harkon had gone mad, he would bring every force in Tamriel to side against them.

For their sake, Serana had to take action, and so turned to the one group of people she could even remotely rely on.

The fact that said group was a bunch of vampire hunters spoke volumes about how dire her situation was...

At least, Miara was... relatively accommodating. The threats upon her life were far less than she expected. Of course, Serana, sharp-tongued as she was, couldn't help but rile up the elf. She just loved pissing her off.

The vampire shook her head as she smiled fondly. Oh that wonderful mess of a Dunmer she grew to love, who saw her at her lowest and stood by her side during those impossible tasks. Before Serana knew it she had lowered down her castle walls and invited the dark elf in, laying bare to all her fears and her pain.

"Oh for the love of- Have you even seen Valora yet? You're just going by whatever gossip you hear, you're acting like a shem."

"I will have you know gossip can be quite informative."

"Sure, it's informative horseshit."

"Love you too cousin..."

Pulled from her thoughts the Nordic vampire gazed out from the shadowy alleyway upon hearing two male voices lightly arguing. One being a young elven man with short red hair, the other... Serana felt a tug on her lips as she smiled. "We meet again my little thief," She whispered.

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Rubbing his eyes with loud groan as he stood outside his house with Soris. Gin since waking up had gotten dressed and prepared for his wedding beside his cousin. Who had not stopped whining on why did he get the 'mouse' and Gin got a walking 'goddess of beauty'.

He loved Soris like a brother, but honestly he drove him insane some times. Hopefully Valora can rein her future spouse in. Gazing out among the crowd he faintly smiled seeing everyone in high spirits for today's event. If nothing else he was glad this little distraction helped everyone to forget about the hardships for least the day.

A chuckle escaped his lips seeing a few children playing around. Well at least someone would be enjoying this party.

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* * *

Gin bit back a sigh as the crowd for the double wedding was growing around the large makeshift platform under the shade of the vhenadahl. Mother Boann of the Chantry had finally come and she was speaking to the elder and his father. Not far he saw Shianni conversing with some children with Nola and one of the bridesmaid who he did not know her name.

His eyes wandered before stopping and narrowing at three approaching figures. Humans, dressed in clothing that marked them as nobility. And while he did not know them personally, their reputations preceded them.

Vaughan Kendells, son of Arl Urien of Denerim. The man was a complete and utter pompous ass who was both cruel and sadistic. As always at his side were Lord Jonaley and Lord Braden, who were just as vile as Vaughan.

Kendells strode ahead of his comrades, a tall handsome man with short well-groomed short auburn hair and goatee. Sadly that handsome exterior masked the monster from within.

Gin kept his eyes solely on the humans who were approaching Shianni and the bridesmaids. He bit back a snarl as he started to walk over.

The son of the arl got too handsy with Nola, causing her to shriek in fright and back away. The elves grew terrified at the presence of the humans and the trouble they were bound to bring with them.

"Well now, I heard there was a party going" His voice alone made Gin furious, so full of arrogance and contempt. "But I see no whores and no ale"

"It's a wedding I believe" One of his lackeys said with and infuriating smirk.

"All the more reason to bring some" He smiled in a disgusting way at the women there. "Though already we have some fine material here" Vaughn was looking straight at Shianni, and Gin had to hold himself from killing the man on the spot.

"Touch me and I'll gut you, shem" He felt proud that she showed now fear in spite of the man's status... at least he hoped Shianni knew this was an arl's son. If they crossed a line in his eyes, they could all be hanged and no one would even bat an eye.

"M-My lord, please" An elven man tried to stop the situation from escalating. "It's a wedding, there's no need to be-"

The back of a hand stroke him with great force, Vaughn growled with disgust at the elf; "I won't have any of you knife ears talk back to me!" The elves around him back away in fright.

Gin was about to jump in when Soris desperately said; "Please, don't make this any worse"

Frost danced around Serana's hand with an enraged sneer marring her ruby red lips. No matter the place, there was always that arrogant and cruel kind of nobles who thought the world bowed down to them, be it here or Tamriel. Well mostly in High Rock, but that was her personal opinion.

Self-entitled, cruel degenerates who knew nothing of the true meaning of proper nobility. Only greed and lust were the vices of fools like these, and they'd harm any who got in their way. Granted her own family could not be counted as kind nobles themselves millennia ago. But she had gotten better, her mother was another story, she was simply… complicated.

The predator within her wanted nothing more than to shove ice spikes into each one of those fools and drain them dry of their blood. Till she took notice as the leader of the fops was speaking to her little thief an elven woman creeped up behind with large vase in her hands.

Her sneer turned to a smirk as Shianni smashed it over Vaughan's head. "Oh I like that her."

On the plus side, she had struck that arrogant blue blood.

On the other hand, she had struck that arrogant blue blood.

Serana knew there would be consequences to this. Nobles like him would not let insults like that go unanswered, much less if they came from 'filthy elves' like them.

Oh it looks like the redhead just realized what she did and was now panicking about it, Serana realized with mirth. Oh she was so glad she chose to sneak in, so far this wedding did not disappoint. Though usually the ceremonies she was used to attend to were filled with more drunken brawls, a daedra or two popping up, and someone getting killed.

The vampire suspected she might have to carry out the last part if 'rich daddy's boy' there chose to come back and do something dumb. Hmm, she couldn't just kill him in the middle of the street, now if it were behind closed doors that'd be easy. But again, only if he started something.

Ah, casual thoughts about murdering someone. Now Serana was feeling like she was in a wedding.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Jonaley and Braden dragged away their semi-conscious comrade out of the alienage who swears he will get even for this slight. Shianni lightly shook before Gin rested her hand on her back; "Will keep an eye for him if he shows up again. Don't worry."

"You know his reputation Gin, how he treats women, especially elven women. And I just-"

Soris rose up his hands; "Breathe Shianni."

The said redhead rested her hand on her chest taking several calming breathes. She gazed toward Gin who gave her a reassuring look that was helping her nerves. Around the people also calmed themselves as the festivities resumed.

In the shadows Serana watched on and took notice of another human strolling into the Alienage; "Now who are you?" She was not the only one with Gin, Soris, and Shianni aware of the man's presence as he stood near the vhenadahl.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

They thought (or at least they hoped) the mess with the shems was over, until a new arrival entered the Alienage. The Tabris trio looked at the man who wore a mix of leather with silver plated gear, his skin was a sun kissed tanned one would find in Antivans or Rivaini folk, dark hair pulled up in a ponytail with a very thick beard around the lower half of his face. The feature that caught their attention the most was two blades sheathed behind his back, the weapons alone already made them nervous.

"Oh great, another shem" Soris muttered. "This one is armed"

And yet... he didn't look like he was planning on causing trouble. His expression was calm, almost serene, as he looked up the sacred vhenadahl tree with appreciation. But still, Gin knew better than to trust in looks alone.

"What could he want?" Shianni whispered.

Gin pondered for a moment, green eyes staring intently at the human. "I'll ask"

Soris did a double take, trying to reach out to his cousin; "Wait don't-!" But it was too late; his cousin was already walking towards the armored human. "Ahhh great..."

Shianni internally sighed before following with Soris not far behind.

How long has it been since he had seen the vhenadahl of Denerim? Duncan was unsure but showed the sacred tree of the elves the due respect. His eyes took in the view of all the people gathered for the dual weddings his old friend had written to him about.

"Excuse me." Upon hearing a voice behind him Duncan turned to see three elves standing a few feet away. Guess it did not take long to find him.

"Andaran atish'an," Gin and the others perked up hearing the shem speak elven; "You two are the grooms to be yes?"

"You know elven?!" Shianni exclaimed, failing to mask her surprise as the man gave a nod.

"In my travels I picked up a few. I consider myself grateful to have earned the friendship of a few elves I've met in my life."

Soris lifted a brow; "Are you here to see a friend then?"

"Indeed, but I have also other business within the Alienage as well."

At that Gin tensed up; "I apologize for sounding rude but I'd like to ask you to leave. We had a run-in today with several humans who had been unpleasant. Everyone is still a bit on edge."

"I understand, but I am afraid I cannot. I have shown no malicious intent, nor would I ever."

The elf did not relent; Duncan was pleased to see he had inherited that same spark from his mother. "I am serious, it'd be best for everyone involved if you just left quietly"

Duncan did not back down; "And I too am serious when I tell you I will not be leaving" There was a strength to this boy, he could feel it, and so would further test it if need be.

To his satisfaction, the elf looked at him in the eye without fear. "Please, you need to leave now"

He let out a soft laugh, "You keep a level head even in the presence of an armed human. A fine trait" Duncan turned to his right with a smile; "Wouldn't you say Valendrian?"

The three elves stared in surprised as their honored elder approached them, a welcoming smile present on his lips directed at the human. "I think the world has too many people eager to reach for their blades" He faced them, "May I present you Duncan, Commander of the Ferelden Grey Wardens"

The Warden in question took some amusement at the various states of shocks their faces shifted into. "T-The Warden-Commander?!" The dark haired male elf sputtered in astonishment.

Adaia's son blinked a few times, mouth opening and closing as he searched for the right words. "I'm sorry I-I had no idea"

"It is of no concern" Duncan raised a hand placating. "I wasn't exactly forthcoming"

"It is good to see you again, old friend" The elder said pleasantly. "But what brings you here?"

The Warden grimaced; his expression shifting to one of utmost seriousness, the change was so fast it worried them. "I am currently on recruitment. The Blight is gathering in the south, and we need all the Wardens we can get to assist the army"

The mere word made three elves pale considerably. They had heard the news, with some voices deriding this wasn't a true Blight, but if the Warden-Commander was so certain... Andraste preserve them, the thought was beyond terrifying.

Valendrian's gaze was grave; "You truly think this is a coming Blight?"

"I have no doubts old friend. This is why I am recruiting. I will also be stopping at Kinloch Hold. While I would like to visit Orzammar and the Dalish camps in the Brecilian Forest. I do not have the time."

Shianni unconsciously gripped Gin's wrist as a cold shiver ran down her spin. "But you can stop it right?"

Duncan turned his eyes to the redhead; "With able individuals who are willingly to join the cause, the better our chances." He did not lie to them, nor give a small lie for comfort. He spoke the blunt truth.

The elder shook his head; "Dark times. But for the moment. Let us have this day full of joy."

At that the Warden-Commander soon grinned with a nod; "I agree. It's the small precious moments that give us comfort before the coming storm."

Soris heaved a sigh; "Getting married sounds way simpler now."

Duncan gave a chuckle before his gaze shifted towards one the darken alleys between two houses. Serana's beautiful brow rose, it was like he could tell someone was hiding there. That is, her… The instincts and experience required to do that spoke volumes. Now she was a bit curious of this man.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

In a few moments the ceremony was ready to start, he and his cousin stood side by side with their respective brides. Nesiara was truly a beautiful woman; coming from a rather wealthy elven family she received a proper education, so Gin suspected she must have a mind to match her looks. He had only heard praises about her and her sweet demeanor.

In short, she was the perfect spouse. Just not for him.

It was not Nesiara, the young woman deserved far better, it's just... she wasn't who he truly wanted to be with.

His attempts at forcing his mood to at least appear upbeat and excited for today's ceremony did not seem to fool her completely, as his bride gazed at him in concern. "You look rather down"

"What?" Gin was a bit taken aback by her statement. "O-Of course not. This is a happy day isn't it?"

She gave him an understanding smile. "I know it can difficult, marrying someone you've never even met. I'm nervous too. But I promise I'll do my best to make our lives happy"

With that said, Gin felt like a complete jackass, here he was whining about his life when he wasn't the only person enrolled into this arranged marriage business, he had not stopped to consider his bride's feelings in the matter at all. Nesiara was probably giving up on a lot just like him.

The least he could do was work hard to make sure she could lead a relatively comfortable life.

Before he knew it, the wedding had started. Elder Valendrian began with the customary he would always use for the Alienage celebrations. Then the Revered Mother began reciting the passages of the Chant to make the ceremony official.

All the while, Gin fought the urge to look at Shianni directly. Sneaking in quick glances to confirm she was avoiding looking at him all the same. This whole affair weighted heavily on them both, but they knew there was nothing to be done. Their love would remain a memory, one best left forgotten as the two now were to form their own separate lives.

Perhaps it was for the best... that's what Gin was telling himself. Perhaps in time he'd come to believe it.

He tried focusing on the Mother's words; he'd have to say his part after all, so he needed to pay attention.

But a dreadful sight made his body seize and his mind freeze. Where once there was joy and elation there now there was only fear. Cries of shock rang out as frightful whispers swarmed the Alienage. The smarter elves ran back to their homes when they had the chance, the rest were too scared to move.

Vaughan Kendells and his cronies had returned... along with a squad of armored soldiers.

The Revered Mother gulped nervously, it was clear she shared the elves' feelings on this development. "M-My lord, this is... unexpected"

"Apologies Mother" Vaughan's tone made it clear he did not feel apologetic in the least. "But you see, I'm having a party and to my dismay I find myself lacking... female guests" He leered at the women.

"My lord!" The Mother was aghast, "This is a wedding!"

"Oh please, dress up your pets if you want, but don't pretend this is a real wedding" He said with contempt. "Now, where is that bitch that hit me...?" His eyes scanned across the crowd, making Gin's heart skip a beat.

"Over here, Lord Vaughan!" One of his lackeys cried out joyfully, holding a struggling Shianni.

"Let me go!" The redhead shouted.

The elves could only watch horrified as Vaughan's men began picking women of their choosing. The thought of fighting back only momentarily crossing their minds, they knew full well trying to fight the armed soldiers would only end in a slaughter for them.

No elf would dare pick a fight with a human lord.

"Ahhh yes" Vaughan's voice dripped with malice. "I'll enjoy taming her"

No elf but Gin.

"Get your disgusting hands of her!" The green eyed groom shouted, stomping forward with the intent of wringing Vaughan's neck with his own hands, consequences be damned.

Years of bottled up anger and resentment rushed to the surface, all his life he was forced to sit back and see how this damnable shems toyed with their people like they were less than trash, endured the humiliation, the indecency, the hopeless of the tyrannical human yoke, knowing that if he ever dared fight back, dare even raise his voice against them, he'd pay it dearly.

No he couldn't give a damn.

He would not let them hurt Shianni; he'd die before that happened! And he'd kill that disgusting Shem even if it was the last thing he'd ever do.

He barely got one foot close to the noble before one of the soldiers punched him across the face, knocking him out swiftly.

Vaughan pursed his lips as he stared at the downed elf before breaking into a wide smile; "Now then!" He clapped his hands together and rubbed them eagerly. "Ladies... we have a party to attend to"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Serana's eyes glowed with brilliant rage, fury boiled through her entire being as her fangs grew within her mouth. Watching Vaughan and his men take away several ladies by force, she knew what those bastards would do to those girls. And she'd be damned she would allow it!

From observing his old friend and Adaia's husband goes to help his son, Duncan's eyes sharply turn back to the darken alley seeing a colony of bats burst from the darkness and into the sky. He was certain he was seeing things as he swore they were following the noble and his men.

Cyrion slowly turned his son as he lightly shook him; "Gin!"

Relief flooded him as his son groaned before hissing as he held his head in pain. He sat up as his eyes shot open; "Shianni!"

The elder shook his head; "Vaughan took her, yours and Soris's fiancées, and the bridesmaids for his 'party'." Disgust and rage seethed from his lips.

Soris and Cyrion helped Gin to his feet. Rage could be felt rolling off his body as he seethed. "I am going to kill him..."

"You'll be killed" The Warden said, approaching them, he spoke matter of factly.

His eyes glowed with righteous fury, "I don't care. I'm going there"

"Then I'm going with you" Soris said, in an uncharacteristic display of courage. "I'm not much of a fighter, but I'm not going to stay here and let those shems do as they please"

"Are you two insane?!" Cyrion cried out in concern. "Their estate has dozens of armed guards, you'll get slaughtered!"

His son whipped his head at him angrily, "So you're saying we should leave them?!"

"Of course not!" His father said aghast. "I'm saying you need to think this through, if you march there you won't make it beyond the gate"

"Then we sneak in" Gin declared, "Trust me, I know how to. Mom taught me all she knew remember?"

Cyrion looked conflicted, his face flashing through various stages, confliction, worry, and finally resignation. "Alright..." He sighed. "Promise me you will come back safely" He said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Gin grabbed his hand and squeezed tightly, "I will"

"You will need weapons" The elder Valendrian spoke. "I have a few hidden away in my house"

Soris cracked a smile, "I thought elves having weapons was against the law"

The elder matched his smile with his own, "Oh some laws are more like 'guidelines'"

Gin turned his gaze to the Revered Mother who shook her head; "I saw nothing. Save them, but please avoid any conflict."

"...I'll try, but it could unavoidable." She conceded to his words with a sorrowful nod.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Vaughan chuckled along with Jonaley and Braden who eyed their playthings for the day. Nesiara held a crying Nola beside a fearful Valora and bridesmaids. Shianni stood protectively in front of the other girls glaring in defiance.

"Oh she is spirited for a knife-ear mongrel," Vaughan to note of Neisara's glare as well; "So is she, but I'll enjoy taming my red-haired pet first."

"Knock, knock…"

A voice, dark, sultry and pure malicious startled everyone in the closed study. Valora was to first to see a towering mass of darkness slowly strolled out from the shadows. The lite fireplace enhanced the figure into every person's view with the three nobles sharply turning only for the towering being stand a head taller than all of the human men. Glowing orange eyes glared with unholy anger at Vaughan, Braden, and Jonaley.

Fear gripped Shianni and the girls as the figure spoke again; "I let myself in for the _party_."

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

"You make it seem so easy" Soris muttered impressed at his cousin picking the lock with deft fingers. They currently were trying to sneak into the Kendells estate through a back door that most likely lead directly to the kitchen.

"Don't focus on me" Gin admonished, "Keep watch for any guards" He focused on the task at hand, leaving no room for hesitation or doubt. They needed to rescue the women before it was too late.

The door made a clicking sound much to his satisfaction, with the lock taken cared of he motioned for his cousin to follow him. With silent steps the entered what appeared to be the kitchen. Carefully closing the door back as to not make any noise. Soris closely followed behind his cousin, trying to imitate his steps as to sneak in properly.

They found a second door, Gin signaled Soris to wait behind as he looked through the keyhole. "Any guards there?" The dark haired cousin asked.

"Just one but..." Gin's voice came confused. "He looks tapped out" The rogue took out his borrowed blade and slowly opened the door. The cousins noticed the sole guard among the tables with his head lying atop it, a hand still clutched to a mug. They could hear the faint sounds of snoring coming from him.

"Drunk on the job?" Soris snorted. "Not very professional"

"Well I'm not gonna complain" Gin said, better not look at a gift horse in the mouth.

They entered the corridor when they saw another guard, though rather than preparing for a fight they saw he half laying on the ground, the upper half of his body pressed against a wall. His eyes closed as his chest rose and fell in steady breathes.

"Another one?" Soris said incredulously. "He looks like he just... fell over and passed out" This didn't make any sense.

Gin slowly shook his head. "Something's off here"

From the hallway to each room they inspected they found servants, guards, and mabari hounds were in a deep slumber. Both cousins found it extremely unnerving seeing people who either fell to the ground as they were walking or sitting on a chair, couch, or a desk slept soundly. Both inspected a guard's room finding several men and mabari fast asleep.

"Did a mage stroll by and decided to put everyone asleep?" Soris looking down at the massive war hound.

Gin tapped his finger on a sleeping guard who sat in a chair. There was no reaction; "Your guess is as good as mine." Idly he saw a rather large coin purse on a table he no so shamefully took and placed in his pocket.

His cousin only snorted with a shake of his head as they continued to inspect more rooms of the Estate. One room made both glare at the sight of a sleeping guard beside an elven woman with part of her clothes torn lying on the bed. Seeing how no one reacted when being touched, they dragged the Shem bastard into a storage room opposite.

Placing a blanket over the woman, they continued their search.

Navigating through the estate was a challenge in and of itself. With no way to knowing the proper internal layout of the building, they had to keep prodding through every door and room until they could find the correct one. Every second they delayed was another second in which the girls could be suffering at the hand of those disgusting humans.

But considering the state in which all the people present were in, it was also a strong possibility that Vaughan and his cronies too had succumbed to this mysterious plague of slumber that had befallen his estate. They prayed to the Maker that was the case.

Finally they came upon a door guarded by two soldiers who now lay unconscious on the ground, this was most likely the door to Vaughan's personal chambers, and they took the presence of the guards as a sign, most likely to make sure no one interrupted his 'fun'.

Gin's knuckles popped white as he tightened the grip on his blade, Soris nervously held his own blade as the other Tabris took the lead. He held up three fingers and began counting down, kicking down the door as he finished, bursting into the room ready to slay the Shems if need to in order to save the women.

It was then that they realized they had walked into a nightmare.

They had expected horror; they had expected to find them in the middle of most deplorable act of depravity possible. A room filled with sin and the painful cries of the elven women.

But what met them was silence, and a visceral stench.

Soris backed away, heaving as he threw up over the floor. Gin paled considerably as his mouth quivered at the sight.

Blood, there was blood everywhere. On the floor, splattered across the walls, guts and dismembered limbs littered the room. It was a sight straight out of a nightmarish horror story. Vaughan and his friends... they had been slaughtered, as though a bear had descended upon them and mauled them apart.

No, even an animal wouldn't have attacked with so much... cruelty.

Andraste be merciful, there was a severed head, impaled into a wall through a dagger to the mouth.

Gin realized in a mixture of horror and morbid satisfaction that it was Vaughan. His expression was that of agony and terror, his last moments had been filled with as much pain as the one he had inflicted upon so many innocent people throughout his life.

The rogue breathed out in relief when he saw the women huddled up in a corner, shivering and silently crying, their eyes closed tightly as to avoid looking at the horror. They seemed to have been spared Vaughan's brutality, but some had borne witness to the savagery inflicted upon him.

Perhaps it was deserved, but nobody should witness carnage like this.

Like the wind he was by their side kneeling down to Shianni and Nesiara who held each other. Slowly his hand went for both of them, the moment his hands touch their shoulders they froze. "Are you both alright?" His voice was a whisper.

Their heads turned to him stiffly. Their eyes wide, fear and terror etched on their faces as tears rolled from their cheeks. Neither said a word despite their mouths trembled, they just stared at Gin.

Finding a bottle of ale, Soris drank it down before heaving an explosive sigh. He threw the bottle in the fire place before turning to his cousins and the rest; "Let's get the hell out of here."

All were in agreement.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Leaving the estate the girls had only just stopped sobbing as their fear was leaving them. But all of them still shook badly, enough so that Gin had them sit in an alley to recover. He said nothing; he asked nothing of what happened to Vaughan and the other two so not to get the girls in a worst state. He held both Shianni's and Nesiara's hand respectively which eased both.

Soris sat beside his fiancée who clutched him tightly. He said nothing but held her in sympathy.

All were silent for the longest time before Nola, finally muttered out; "She tore them apart..."

She?

Gin and Soris met each other's eyes before remaining silent to let the girls recover. On a roof above them Serana peered down at the small group. She winced at the state of the girls; "Maybe I went a ' _touch_ ' overboard?"

For obvious reasons Serana had an intense hatred for rapists. Why in some bandit camps when her and Miara discovered such acts, the Nordic vampire went mad berserk killing everyone and everything in the camp.

Well, the girls were safe. That was all that mattered.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

In the alienage the elder and Cyrion paced while others waited and prayed. The elder Tabris could not keep himself still and walked back and forth in front of the great tree. He had never been more frightened for his son's safety before, nor had he been more terrified for what Shianni and their women had to be going through. They were a quiet, peaceful folk, but sometimes that made them more enticing prey for the humans.

It was disheartening to know this wasn't the first time something like this happened, with shem taking advantage of their kin like they were naught but toys. He had grown up spared such horrors, but he wasn't blind to the fact such things happened. He lived in the Alienage after all; eventually you hear or see things. An elf beaten and robbed, or casually murdered. It was the disheartening reality that this was usual for the Alienage.

Closest thing he remembered witnessing was that poor man who tried to stop the Templars from taking his daughter when she proved herself to be a mage. Cyrion's heart had gone with them, after all, little Neria would sometimes play with Gin and the others when they were children. But the law was clear, even so, the beating the man received was very much uncalled for, the Templars were more numerous and armed, they had no need for the violence they committed against him. Now he was just a reclusive man who lived separated from the rest of his community.

It filled him with shame and impotent rage. He should have gone with his son; he should have done something instead of cowering... But against humans, what were they to do?

"They're back!" Someone finally shouted, and there was much rejoicing.

Cyrion could breathe again. His eyes welled up with tears as he saw his son, nephew and niece returning in tow with the kidnapped women. None were missing, thank Andraste...

He, elder Valendrian and various other elves approached them. It was then that they realized with dread that some of the women, including Shianni, were wet with blood.

"Oh Maker..." He breathed out in horror.

"They're okay" Gin assured them as they handed the shaken women to be tended by the others. "That's not their blood. Someone, something..." His son sighed as he ran his hand over his head. "Tore Vaughan and his companions' apart. Literally"

Leaning against a house Duncan listened to every word with a lifted brow. His head shifted upon hearing the marching steps of armor feet.

Gin and the others turned seeing Sargent Kylon ahead of several of his men. Elder Valendrian walked up to the auburn haired human as he stopped; "What is this Kylon?"

"Apologizes Elder, but we discovered Bann Vaughan Kendells, Lord Jonaley, and Lord Braden were murdered." Kylon paused before turning his gaze to Gin and Soris; "And, it was reported these two snuck in trespassing."

"Don't beat around the bush Kylon," Gin spoke up having some respect for the Sargent since he was a good and fair man. "Say what your officers already think." He saw the hate filled gazes of the guardsmen who glared with cruelty.

"They believe it was you who killed Vaughan. I personally don't believe it, the reports makes it clear that what happened to him... couldn't have been done just by an elf. But that doesn't matter to my superiors; they want someone to be charged guilty for this before Arl Urien returns..." The guardsman sighed, refraining from massaging his temples. "I have orders to arrest you"

Waves of shock waved across the crowd of elves. "No!" Shianni cried out against the injustice of it all.

"Kylon please!" Cyrion stepped forward, begging the man in desperation. "You can't do this!"

"I'm sorry" The man said with sincere regret. "It's out of my hands, if not me then someone else would have come. And it could get... bloody"

Alienages had been purged by less after all.

"I did it myself" Gin spoke up, surprising everyone.

The Grey Warden raised a brow.

"Soris had nothing to do with it" He continued. "I'm the only one you should arrest"

Cyrion placed a hand on his shoulder, looking at him with frightened eyes. "Gin no, they'll execute you!"

He smiled sadly at him and the tears welled up in his father's eyes. "It's a fair price for the Alienage's safety"

Shianni stepped forward, angrily looking at the guardsman, "Do they know what Vaughan did? What he was going to do?!"

"Shianni, don't" The rogue said softly. "You'll make things worse"

Her gaze whipped at him, hurt and desperate. "It's not fair!"

"...It's never is" He said with resignation. Such was the life of an elf after all.

It was at that moment that another voice made itself known. "Before you are forced to carry your duty, Sargent" All heads turned towards Duncan as he approached. "I invoke the Right of Conscription to recruit Gin Tabris under Grey Wardens"

A silence fell everyone present; in the shadows of the alley Serana had followed the group. She had listened to every word as she felt her blood boil. Typical nobility horseshit, times like this she was glad her family stopped caring about such nonsense. However she was surprised by her little thief's declaration to take all the blame.

Such selflessness... No fear or hesitation in his eyes as he knew death would await him. Part of her wanted to intervene hearing such noble words till that Duncan fellow spoke up.

The sergeant's brow lifted eyeing Duncan who now stood in front of a shocked Gin and his family. A Shem was helping them?

"There's no bloody way he can do that!" one of Kylon's officers yelled with the rest muttering in agreement. "The knife-ear needs to die for killing Bann Vaughan!"

"QUIET!" Kylon roared with a sharp turn and glare to his now cowering officers; "In case you brats forgotten a Warden-commander has the right to conscript 'anyone'; be they a murderer, thief, or common civilian. Unless you idiots want to take it up with Duncan personally." The officers froze at the sight of the Warden-commander's intimidating glare.

The Sergeant did not wait for a reply since Duncan's glare was enough to shut those brats up; "Gin's all yours Commander."

"Good luck" The guardsman smiled at the elf, "You're going to need it" And departed the Alienage.

Gin could only remain frozen throughout it all, hardly believing any of this was happening. He had narrowly escaped the hangman's noose, thrusted into the ranks of the Grey Wardens. To serve with them was considered an honor, but it was not a choice Gin had ever seen himself taking. Fitting, since the choice was made for him, his fate was now sealed. Though considering the circumstances he shouldn't complain.

"Duncan..." Cyrion softly spoke, looking at the man with gratitude. "You saved my son"

"Do not thank me yet" The Warden cynically said. "A Warden's life is one of duty and sacrifice. Young Gin has quite the road ahead of him, but if he's anything like his mother I'm sure he's up to the task" He turned to face his recruit. "I'll give you one hour to gather your things and say your goodbyes, the sooner we depart the better" That said, he walked away to wait at the Alienage's gates.

Gin plopped down on the ground, the stress of the situation finally weighting down on him. He let out a long suffering sigh as he ran his hands over his brown locks. His family remained at his side, comforting him.

The crowd of elves slowly departed, taking the women with them so they could help them forget this horrible day ever happened. Neisara stayed behind, looking at Gin with a myriad of emotions as she knelt down. "I guess this was never meant to be huh?"

"It seems so..." He muttered. "What will you do now?"

"I'll... go back to Highever, to my family" She let out a humorless laugh. "I don't think they'll arrange another marriage any time soon" Neisara planted a soft kiss on cheek. "Goodbye Gin, thank you" And so she left, not knowing if it'd be the last time the two would ever see each other again.

Soris soon joined the side of cousin, Shianni follow suit hugging Gin who returned it. "Well this was one hell of a wedding."

"I do not want to hear another word about any wedding for least a year," Shianni muttered resting her head on Gin's chest. That earned a chuckle from her two cousins before she looked up to her secret lover; "How are you holding up?"

Gin gave a look; "Should be my line after what happened. All I care about is every one of us is safe."

"Can you really say that?" Soris spoke with stern expression; "You're a Warden now Gin, that's a harsh life. Fighting Darkspawn till the day you die."

"Well, thanks for the reminder" His cousin grumbled as he stood up. "I guess I need to get my things now" Few as they were...

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It almost felt like he was sleepwalking through the whole process, the only things he had to pack were a few items of clothing, along with a pair of quality daggers Couldry had given him. He took in every part of his house to memory, knowing it'd be likely that he would never see the place where he grew up ever again.

An elf's life to the end, where his fate was already chosen for him.

Well, Gin supposed there were worse things. At least the Wardens had an honorable cause; it was more than he could say of his life of thievery. But he would never regret it; he had cared for his family that way.

He wondered if his mother would be proud of him.

Gin strapped the burlap sack to his back and headed out, meeting his father on the way before leaving the house. "I can hardly believe any of this is happening" He muttered mournfully. "When your mother died, I promised I would do everything in my power to make sure you had a good life... I feel like I failed her"

His son was quick to brush away such foolish concerns, "You have nothing to feel sorry about" He placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled. "You're the best father I could have asked for"

Cyrion blinked away his tears as he pulled his son into a tight warm embrace. "I love you, son"

"I love you too" He muttered back, trying to hold back the tears.

It took him a bit to let go, neither of them wanted to. But when he did and stepped out of the house, Cyrion fell down on a chair, overwhelmed by the weight of having lost something so precious and irreplaceable. There was little to give the older elf comfort, so he held on to those precious memories he had of their time together as a family.

Coming out of the door, he saw Soris standing at the entrance's side. "I can never repay what you did for me" He said with self-loathing. "You took all the blame and I... I just stood back and let you do it, like a coward" He couldn't meet his gaze out of shame.

"Don't sell yourself short" Gin assures him. "You would have done the same in my place"

Soris let out a humorless laugh, "Think you give me too much credit" The cousins exchanged a quick yet strong hug. "Good luck cousin give those blighters hell"

Gin smiled at him and moved on, finding the next daunting challenge waiting for him by the tree. Shianni was waiting there to say her goodbyes.

Neither said a thing as they stared at each other, the redheaded elf threw herself at him, circling her arms around his shoulders as she silently cried. Gin held her tightly, his face set into a mournful grimace.

There were no words they could have exchanged to properly express the turmoil they felt, not openly at least. They could cry about the injustice of this situation, the unfair circumstances that put him in this precarious situation in the first place. But that would not help; it would not soothe their aching hearts. The things they dreamed of the most would never come to be, and they knew that.

Such was an elf's life.

The act of letting go of an embrace never felt so painful.

Gin walked away, looking back at the faces of the elves gathered there. From the proud yet solemn face of the elder, to the compassionate and pitying looks of his fellows. Maybe the Alienage was a hard place to live in... But it was his; this had been his home all his life.

Gin walked through the gates, knowing most likely he'd never return.

Duncan was waiting for him there, beckoning him to follow. They walked in a heavy silence before Gin finally broke it.

"Why me?" He asked, making the Warden-Commander turn to face him. "Out of all the people you could have chosen, why use your power to spare my life?"

Duncan pondered his answer for a moment. "I once tried to recruit your mother" His words made Gin's eyes widen in disbelief. "She was a great fighter, spirited, courageous. Adaia's spirit was a sight to behold" He chuckled, "Valendrian convinced me out of it, and your father very strongly insisted as well" He smiled at Gin. "I heard she passed all she knew to you, but not's the only thing she gave you, you have the same spirit after all. A Warden is more just than martial skill; he is that same conviction and determination your mother had, like you do"

Gin only looked stunned as Duncan continued; "You've shown bravery and selflessness to protect your loved ones. Whether you see it or not, you are a good man."

The elf was silent as Duncan purchased some horses from the stable master. Mounting their new rides, Gin's eyes stayed with Denerim as they were leaving it further and further behind.

"Will I ever see my family again?"

The Warden-commander grunted; "I won't lie, a Grey Warden's life is perilous. But it does not mean those with family are cut off from them. Depending how we fare in Ostagar, you can see them anytime or write letters."

At that Gin felt relieved, "Thank you Duncan."

Unbeknownst to the Warden-commander and Warden recruit who were making their way to Kinloch Hold a colony of bats followed a good distance away in the sky.

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Soris gulped as he walked through the darkly candle lit room of an abandoned building with his head bowed and his hands grasping each other anxiously. Few times had he directly reported, usually it was through other liaisons of elves like him, that was how the network functioned.

But the recent events had put his superiors on high alert, the arrival of those foreigners implied great danger for their operations.

His superior glanced down at him cloaked in the darkness, "Report"

Soris gulped, "A-A few days ago, at the docks arrived-"

"We know of this" The voice said tiredly and irritated. Ah right, perhaps that was not the proper way to start, these people always made him anxious. "Unless you have anything of interest, I suggest you leave now"

"Well, the other day one of these individuals visited the Alienage, telling stories about Tamriel"

His master sighed, an eye roll followed. "And this is important information because..."

"I-I" Soris struggled to find the correct words, he thought the information he had with him was important enough to warrant attention... but apparently his superior did not believe so. "I thought that maybe knowing the name of this person would help us spy on her"

Eyes narrowed impatiently, "And that name is?"

"Miara Redoran"

"..."

When there was no response, Soris shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know what kind of role she has among the Tamriels, but she seemed-"

"Are you certain?" His master interrupted. "Are you truly certain that was her name?" The question seemed desperate, frightened even.

Soris had never seen any of them act like this before.

"I... yes" Soris numbly nodded.

"...Start from the beginning"

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 **Next chapter will be on the way!**


	6. Kinloch Hold

_**Disclaimer:**_ We do not own Dragon Age or Elder Scrolls

 _ **Co-author & Beta**:_ Etheral-23

 **Kinloch Hold**

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Luna and Satina casted their brilliance amongst the starry sky over Lake Calenhad and the impressive tower at the lake's center. Built long ago by the Avvar with the aid of the Dwarves, a lasting testament to their skills and craftsmanship. No force could breach it doors till the conquest of the Tiventer Imperium.

To this day it stood though the bridge that connected it to the mainland was long destroyed. Once its purpose was protect against the enemies of Ferelden, now it was housed as the country's Circle of Magi. A gilded cage for all who possess the gift, or curse of magic...

This was the destination of the Warden-Commander and his recruit, on the hill where the ruined bridge resided the young elven man could not help but look up in awe at the looming structure that rose magnificently from the lake. Gin hadn't really been away from Denerim, so to see the great landmarks of ancient times still standing so imposingly made him feel small. The world was simply enormous beyond the Alienage walls.

"This is where the mages live?" The rogue questioned in disbelief and awe.

"Indeed" Duncan replied, "It is here where the mages study their craft under the watchful eyes of the Templars" He motioned the elf to follow him as they climbed down the hill towards the small collection of houses that sat at the lake's shore. "And it is here where we shall gather another recruit"

There was no doubt in Gin's mind that mages made for valuable Wardens. Though he had little idea of what their magic could do, few people ever saw a mage in their entire life but one heard the stories, calling upon fire and thunder at their fingertips, the very forces of nature answering to their claim. It is what made magic so frightening, the idea of someone having such power.

"A regiment of mages has already been mobilized by the Chantry and have made for Ostagar" The commander continued. "But I would like to at least add one mage to our ranks"

"Do you have any potential recruits?" Gin asked. Duncan's words from before still lingered on his mind. Almost like it was his intention to recruit him all along.

"Not exactly" He responded with a shake of his head. "It's my purpose to speak with the First Enchanter to see if the Circle is able to provide a mage with enough seniority and skill"

As Gin took on his words pondering, Duncan still felt that nagging sensation in the back of his head, like they were being followed. But throughout the journey he just couldn't find any sign that would prove his suspicions correct. He just hoped it was his paranoia making him see figures in the shadows.

Above them, a bat flew into the Tower unnoticed.

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Her breathe was heavy as her heart raced ascending to the very top of Kinloch Hold's peak. It had finally come, the end of her apprenticeship, now all that awaited for her was the final test. Where she would either become a full-fledged mage or be slain as a possessed abomination.

Being a mage was a harsh life, being an elven mage was even harsher. Forcefully taken away from her father screaming and crying by Templars from Denerim. Fear etched her very being at the sight of the imposing Circle Tower before being locked within with fellow mages. All the while Templars kept vigil, watching every movement and action of their charges, or prisoners as Anders vocally called it.

Still, despite the hate and racism of some, Neria Surana did not let herself be broken. Save her dearest friend Brianna Amell, her talent in the arcane shined like the rawest gem. It was thanks to the guidance of Senior Enchanter Wynne, and finally First Enchanter Irving himself did she truly harness her power.

Now was the next step. At last she reached the peak of the tower, the Harrowing chamber. A massive circular room with large pillars encircling with stained glass windows at the room floor and the very top.

Men and a few women stood around the chamber who wore full body armor and helmet with an embroiled purple or blue skirt wrapped around the waist with chainmail underlay. The blade of mercy engraved of the breastplate.

These were the Templars. Holy knights of the Chantry and keeper of the mages.

Standing in the middle of the room were two men Neria knew well. Her mentor dressed in a green and brown robe holding a staff in his hand. His gaze warm with immense wisdom in his eyes upon his wrinkled face. Though in his twilight years, his hair and full beard greyed, First Enchanter Irving was a powerful mage and greatly respected, even among the Templars.

Next to him was Knight-Commander Greagoir in his Templar armor save the helmet. A hard and strict man devoted to the order. He followed the Chantry and Templar code to the letter. Yet despite no love for mages he wouldn't throw one in a cell or make them Tranquil unless there was evidence and reason. Greagoir was a man just starting into his winter years, as evidenced by his short grey hair. But like Irving, the Knight-Commander had not lost his edge in battle, fighting younger people to submission with ease.

Her brown locks swayed with each step, as her dark tanned skin seemed to glow against the candlelights. Amber eyes steeled themselves at the challenge before her. The ever watchful Templars' gaze followed her as she walked past them, vigilant and ready to act against the first sign of corruption.

Neria would not fall, this was her calling. Her entire life she had been prepared for this, many expectations were riding on her and she would not disappoint neither her teachers, nor her friends.

But most of all herself.

She was a mage, and as such she needed to prove herself.

Irving stood in front of the ceremonial pedestal with a bowl on the top, his eyes kind and full of wisdom as always. At his side was the Knight-Commander Greagoir, face stern and disciplined as any soldier. While her mentor's gaze was appraising, the Templar's gaze carried an all too familiar judgement.

"'Magic exists to serve man, never to rule over him'" Greagoir began, speaking the most sacred line in the Chant for the Templars. "Neria Surana, you have been called today to prove yourself. Your magic is a gift, but it is also a curse" Greagoir continued, it sounded more like he was paraphrasing lines. No doubt they had given this speech countless times before. "For it attracts the attentions of demons, whose whispers of temptation fill your dreams"

Neria was unfortunately all too familiar with it. She had experienced quite a few times already, but she was smart enough to shut down any attempt of conversation she found suspicious, whenever a demon pretended to be a benign spirit.

The First Enchanter took over, "You have proven yourself talented in the craft, and must now face the final test for you to become a full-fledged mage of the Circle" He waved his hand at the pedestal, and Neria could feel the familiar hum of magic from the blue substance inside the bowl. "With this lyrium a ritual shall be performed, you shall enter the Fade and face a demon, armed only with your will"

The elven woman pressed her lips and gulped quietly, so far she had been trying to resist the temptations of demons and ignore their whispers. This would be the first time she's ever faced one directly.

She steadied her breathing as she strode towards the pedestal with lyrium. Beside it stood a man around her age in Templar armor like the Knight-commander and the rest. His eyes dance with uneasy upon her approach; she had recalled him as one of the few Templars who was ever nice to her. Cullen if she recalled his name right.

Neria gave him a respectful nod as she gazed down at the glowing liquid. She could feel the power from it as she raised her hand over the lyrium. With one more reassuring breath she dipped her hand in and a light soon enveloped her.

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The young elven mage slowly awoke and found herself lying on ground. Or at least something that resembled ground, she had gotten to her feet as she looked at her the world she had visited many times in her dreams.

"The Fade..."

Ever changing, with structures and surroundings that were strange, alien in comprehension. To say this was the realm of dreams was barely scratching the surface. Every concept, every metaphor, every emotion and abstract idea became physical in the Fade. It was not just the dreams of mortals that gave shape to the currents of the Fade, but the mere act of living, the events in the physical world would send ripples so strong they would engrave themselves in the Fade as memories. Though always distorted by the perspective of people, just like their inhabitants.

The amount of mages in such close proximity to one another made this section of the Fade be very... misshapen perhaps. Too many conflicting ideas and dreams. With patches of uneven ground that did not quite look like regular soil, floating islands that could suddenly make place to giant lush forests, endless deserts and ancient fortresses. The Fade was as fluid as the ocean waves.

The one constant was the Black City, forever in the distance.

Neria let the arcane winds of the Fade wash over her, bringing a sense of tranquility. She closed her eyes took a deep breath, preparing to embark on her quest. Spirits and demons could be anywhere.

"Wow! It's like living in a water painting!"

Like right here next to her apparently.

Neria opened her eyes and turned to see a female spirit levitating off the misshapen ground with her legs crossed in a meditative looking position. She donned robes with intricate wavy designs of colorful embroidery, long loose sleeves and a long skirt, fastened around her waist was a belt with multiple pouches, every part of her attire was decorated with arcane sigils Neria did not recognize. The spirit had chosen to take the form of an elf with long raven colored hair in a ponytail, but the grey skin and red eyes gave away its true nature. Perhaps it just took that form for Neria's convenience but was not interested in deceiving her, or else the spirit would have made sure to appear as natural as possible.

"Hello~!"

The circle mage cocked her head; "Hello."

With a smile the spirit landed onto the ground standing beside her; "I was wondering just how I could find my way into this place." A whistled came from the entity at the sight of an odd statue; "Have to say this was not what I was expecting when Zathrian and Marathari explained the Fade to me. You can't make heads or tails of this place. Oh sorry, call me Sarya!"

"...You're odd for a spirit." She met a few during her dreams, but never one that rambled so much.

Confusion came from the spirit with a lifted brow; "You think I'm a spirit?"

"Well I've never met a grey skinned elf. So you're obviously a spirit or demon."

At that the spirit huffed in indignation; "Well you should get out more it does wonders on one's perspective." The spirit took a long look at her blue robe with gold lining; "So a mage too eh?"

Well, Neria would humor the spirit for now, but still kept an eye out in case she was planning anything. "Indeed, I'm here on a test. A sort of 'graduation' from apprentice you could say"

"Ohhh! A test? I love tests!" The grey skinned elf spirit skipped as she approached, making Neria realized this 'Sarya' was much taller than she was. "My teacher would always makes the best tests. He even made tests for a test to take the real test!"

"...Right" Perhaps this was a spirit of exuberance or curiosity. "I need to face a demon myself"

"Ah, a trial by fire then" Sarya said in understanding. "Yes, my teacher was fun giving those too. But what do you mean by 'face'? Is it combat? Or perhaps you must outwit the demon?"

The dark skinned elf shrugged, "Both are a possibility, the risk of possessions usually involves either. So if you'll excuse me I need to get going" The elf turned around... only to find Sarya standing before her, smiling widely.

"Can I join? I am so very interesting in seeing what your trial involves"

Neria brought a wary gaze to the spirit as it rolled its eyes; "I won't interfere, I'm just curious okay?"

The young mage gave a slow nod which made Sarya smile and soon followed her with a skip to her steps. Maybe this was a spirit of childishness, was there a spirit like that? Neria shook it off, she had to focus.

Soon after Neria found out that focusing was nearly impossible because the spirit just wouldn't. Stop. Asking. Questions.

'How do you classify your schools of magic?' 'Would you call the population of mages in your Circle average, small or big?' 'What's your specialty?' 'Have you considering which areas you'll focus your studies on? I personally find it best of branch out extensive' 'Are those official Circle robes, or is it just poor taste in clothing?'

Neria was beginning to think THIS was the challenge. To endure this inane banter, that would be good training to fortify your mind.

"So, where is this demon you'll be facing?"

The Circle mage let out a soft sigh; "That is which I'm trying to figure out. If I am to best a demon I must know not only where it is, but what type it is. Their abilities can differ widely from each other, Rage demons are fierce and wild strong flame element, Desire demons strike with illusions and mind controlling abilities, Despair demons attack with ice and can deprive you of your will-"

She would have continued were it not for a new voice that interrupted her.

"Oh if you're looking for despair you've come to the right place"

The two women stopped their walk, gazing around as to find the source, but there was nothing in front of them.

"Down here"

At their feet was a mouse on its hind legs staring up at them. "So another mage called for their Harrowing. But all that waits you is death."

"You're a mouse" Neria simply replied, but she knew better. In the Fade things were always more than it met the eyes.

"Only in the form I've chosen to take"

"And who are you?"

Her question was met with the mouse turning into light. Both ladies covered their eyes before a figure of human man with short red hair and dressed in red robes appeared. Melancholy danced in his blue eyes; "Just a lost soul who never survived his Harrowing. The Templars killed me, but my soul remained here. Call me Mouse, since that's all I am good for. Hiding in the small places from the more evil nasties around here."

"Your soul remained here?" Neria questioned in surprise. "Few times has the Circle ever encountered such a phenomenon"

Mouse gave her a deadpanning look, "So glad that my situation peaks your curiosity"

The elven mage blushed in embarrassment; "F-Forgive me, I did not mean it like that"

"A soul hmm?" Her companion questioned, voice carefully collected. "Interesting" Sarya's red eyes narrowed at him, and Mouse seemed to flinch under her gaze, as though her presence unnerved him.

"Y-You keep interesting company, my friend" He said before sighing, "I know what you're going through, the Templars did the same thing to me. Dragged me in the middle of the night for this test, when I did not finish in the time they expected me too, they just killed me. Thought I was in the process of being possessed"

"I'm sorry" Neria said in sympathy, "It is an unforgiving ritual, but a necessary one. The threat of possession is too risky"

Mouse let out a humorless laugh, "Oh they really got to you didn't they. I used to think like you, but the Fade, well, it changes your mind as much as your mind changes it"

"What's your true name?" The shorter elf asked.

"It's... ugh, blast it all. I've been so long in here I've forgotten" His gaze became downcast. "You forget a lot in the Fade, trapped here for long" Mouse met her gaze, "I don't want you to go through this alone like I did, I'd like to help you succeed"

"Hmm," Neria shifted her to head towards Sarya who stared intently at Mouse. Her gaze was, unreadable as the soul of the late mage looked physically uncomfortable. Sarya looked to her with a smile; "More the merrier eh? Where do we go?"

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"Oh, look at that!" Sarya chirped and a sigh came from Neria as the grey elf stood over a precipice to a bottomless pit in order to better look at the Black City. Seriously she had never met such a strange spirit who seemed to have the energy of a child. Who was either talking her pointy ears off or expressing intense fascination in every strange object in the Fade.

But she found it odder that they had not encountered much of anything saved a few wisps. These would soon fly off with Sarya chasing after them like a playful cat with a new toy. Mouse had been shifting uncomfortably throwing odd glances towards the grey skin spirit. He did not like her, for whatever reason. Thus he had been speaking to Neria and avoiding any interaction with Sarya.

He was currently in his mouse form, riding on Neria's shoulder, whispering into her ear so the grey skinned elf-looking being would not hear. "You should not be in her company. She feels... strange"

"She can be quirky" Neria whispered back, "But she seems alright"

"You don't get it. I have not felt anything like her before, her nature alone it's..."

Whatever he was about to say next died in his mouth as Sarya cheerfully exclaimed, "Oh here's somebody else!"

And indeed, standing not too far from them was the glowing figure of a knight in front of rows of weapons on numerous racks. A spirit that embodied a virtue no doubt, Neria watched in curiosity as he used his own magic to cast light, this one solidified and became a blade. He grasped the weapon and inspected it, the mage couldn't tell if he was satisfied or not, but placed it on one of the racks with the others.

"Oh, him again" It sounded like Mouse was familiar with this spirit, and not too fond of him by his tone of voice. "Whatever you do, don't talk about weapons with him, you'll be here for decades listening to his rambling"

"I know a few people who'd get along with him" Sarya commented.

The spirit took notice of their presence as they approached, "Ahhh, a mortal mage once more embarks through their fool's quest I see. Accompanied by... something I do not recognize" His booming voice became lost and confused as he stared at the grey elf. "Who are you, Shining One?"

'Shining One'? The spirit must be able to see something Neria could not.

"I'm Sarya, nice to meet you" She cheerfully waved, "And this is Neria, she's on her trial!"

The golden spirit gave a respectful nod before he turned his gaze to Neria; "I am Valor. As a warrior spirit I find it rather distasteful your mages sends their own blindly and unarmed while being stalked by a cowardly predator in the shadows. A true test is facing one's opponent head on."

At that Sarya smirked; "Yup know a few people who'd like you."

"Do you know anything about our Harrowing?" Curiosity ebbed in Neria's voice.

Valor cocked his head; "They call it that? Forgive me, for I do not know much of the ways of mortals. My time is mostly spent honing the art of combat and the beauty of weaponry." His gazed shifted at the sight of Sarya coming closer to his array of weapons; "Are they to your liking, Shining One?"

"Your weapons are beautiful."

"Thank you."

Neria herself took notice of a mage's staff leaning against the rack. "Could I borrow that staff for my trial?"

"Hmm, I suppose you could. But how about a demonstration of your skills for it? Face me in battle," Valor stated as he gazed hard at the young mage.

The mage reeled back in surprise and worry at his sudden challenge, she had come here knowing a fight might be inevitable, but she did expect a spirit that embodied a virtue would seek to test her as well. Though come to think of it, it made sense a warrior spirit would do so...

"Really?" Sarya quirked an eyebrow incredulously at his declaration. "You just said she's unarmed and you want to fight her? Not very honorable I think"

A mage was never unarmed, Neria knew this. But this spirit clearly put more emphasis on martial skill with weaponry. Valor seemed to consider the grey woman's words, his gaze lowered in thought.

"Hmm, perhaps you are right. It was too brash of me to demand that of you" The spirit admitted in apology, making Neria sigh in relief. "After all, you are yet to face the demon. It would be unfair for you to waste energy when your challenge lies ahead"

At that Neria perked up, "Do you know where it is?"

The shining spirit pointed south, where the misshapen earth sunk further and further until into what looked to the twisted entrance to a cave. And from the darkness came a sense of foreboding accompanied by coldness. There was no doubt in Neria's mind, the demon was there.

"You don't have to do this" Mouse insisted. "Maybe you can find a way to escape this wretched ritual"

"If I do it, I'll just be proving I can't be trusted"

"Oh who cares what the Templars believe? Those bastards see corruption everywhere"

"It's not them I have to prove it to" Neria clarified, "But to me" And went to retrieve the staff that leaned against the racks, it felt weightless, the staff was there but it was not truly physical, it was just another construct of the Fade. But she could feel its power, Valor's power, was very much real.

"Commendable" Valor said in approval.

Sarya looked at Neria with appraising eyes, her usually cheerful face betraying no emotion. "Have you ever fought before?"

"I have received training in combat magic"

"Not what I asked"

At that the young elf bowed her head; "This... would be my first time." She gripped the staff as she held it close.

"So this will be a true trial by fire for you. It is at these moments you learn the person you are when you either fight or flee." Valor stated grimly.

Sarya tapped her chin; "You could die. You are aware of this?" Neria nodded; "Yet you still wish to fight?"

The Circle mage raised her head; "Yes." Her voice resolute and steely.

Valor gave a nod of approval while Sarya crossed her arms cocking her head; "Then would you like a hand?" Confusion etched on Neria's face; "I know a spell that could help you face this... 'Demon'. Or any unholy creatures if you face more, if you survive this."

"You would teach me a spell?"

"I would give you a tool" Sarya replied, "A spell is only as useful as the mage who uses it. This spell, if my knowledge of your schools is right, is not like that of any type of mage craft Thedas has seen before. This power is pure 'light'"

"Light?"

The grey woman bit her lower lip, gaze shifting in thought. "It's difficult to explain, and you don't have the time needed to learn it the regular way. I can give you the knowledge of the spell" She tapped her temple, "Straight to your mind"

Neria's eyes widened, "My mind? But that... would mean I need to give you access to it and..."

Years of Circle teachings surged forth, screaming 'Blood Magic!'. She was horrified at the mere thought of someone just... entering her mind like that. It would leave her vulnerable to whatever Sarya wanted to do, so far she had not acted malicious in any way or form towards her... But what if that was her plan all along? To lower her into a false sense of security.

"Don't do it!" Mouse warned her.

"Neria" Sarya gently said; "I mean no harm to you. I know it's all very strange, but believe me when I say I want to help you"

"...Why?"

"Because magic should be nurtured, and what your Chantry stands for fills me with rage" It was earie how calm she was even as she spoke those words, as though she was using all of her willpower not to explode. "You, your peers, deserve better than this"

"She speaks the truth" Valor agreed. "She may be many things, but her words are spoken with nothing but the truth"

As a spirit, Valor could peer into peoples' very souls. If he could truly see what Neria could not...

She turned to face the cave once more, the dread, the fear of the unknown assaulted her. She hesitated, her early confidence vanishing swiftly.

With a stiff nod, Neria agreed.

Sarya approached and gently placed her hand on the side of the shorter elf's head. Neria felt something tugging at her brain, like a stream of magic was filling in empty spaces of memory with knowledge. Just pure knowledge.

"This magic is light" Sarya spook softly. "It is sacred, it is righteous... it is Order"

Her body felt a powerful warmth envelope her... Akin to a parent wrapping you a loving and protective embrace. A tear rolled down one of her eyes as the sensation reminded the young elf of her father before the Templars came and took her away. Soon an image formed in her mind, blurry at first but soon cleared.

A weapon?

A weapon of pure light. Light so powerful no darkness could escape its reach. So warm she knew she'd always be safe in its glow. Its nature felt like a soothing hymn... "Order," she whispered. For that's what it was, that which stood against chaos. Neria wiped away her tear before she gave a grateful nod to Sarya; "Whatever you are. Thank you."

The spirit just smirked with a wink; "You're welcome. Now go show this demon you're not an elf to be trifled with."

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Neria stood at the threshold of the cave, Sarya expressed she would remain with Valor so the young mage went alone with Mouse on her shoulder. Though the cave entrance looked about the size of a mine as she had seen from drawings. The inside seemed to be an ever-reaching shaft that went on for eternity. Wisps were the only sources of light within this darken structure.

"You could still turn back." Mouse whispered.

Her response was to continue her stride within the cave. Her heart raced, but her nerves were steel as the wisps seem to guided her through the dark.

A long wheezing moan echoed; " **Lost little elf** ," a distorted albeit feminine raspy voice spoke. " **Have you come to let the darkness claim you**?"

The mage stood firm, "I have to shed light to my path" She said, tightening her grip on her staff.

The raspy mournfully spoke, " **So naive, holding on to hope** "

From the shadows seemed to form a figure wrapped in tattered robes, the hands were claw-like with skin so dried up it might as well belong to corpse, under the hood the elf saw no eyes, just a skeletal visage with teeth far too large that occupied nearly half of its face.

" **A grave mistake** "

A Despair demon, the opposite of Hope, a creature that took away determination, tearing away the foundations of self and purpose replacing it with misery.

" **Do you have any idea how many of you little mages have they sent to their deaths**?" The creature said, it sounded pained, but Neria knew better than to presume it was out of sympathy. This was despair, this was her natural state. She fed upon the pain of others because she herself was pain. " **Is it any wonder I am drawn to your tower? The tears of the child shunned by their parents, the cries of the mage abused by the Templars, the utter hopelessness they feel when they wake up every day and see only walls around them. The breeze in the fields is naught but a dream to them.**.."

"I didn't come here to hear you ramble" Neria said, trying to ignore how much the words were actually affecting her. She sometimes wondered what it felt, to be outside and... No! This was exactly what the demon wanted, to inflict misery unto her until her defenses were weak enough!

The dark tanned elf shook her head, trying to think of the moments that gave her comfort. Her apprenticeship under those wonderful people, her friends. She would succeed this trial, she would become a mage and-

" **And then what**?" The demon finished, feeling her internal turmoil. " **Spend day after day trapped inside that gilded cage, telling yourself it's for the best? Is it truly what you wish, or what others have decided for you**?"

...She would become a mage, but to what end? To change the Circles, give more liberties to the mages? Not as long as the Chantry remained adamant on their stance on magic. Not as long as there were Abominations out there and Tevinter in the north gave them more justification to their paranoia. They would only preach the Maker's hatred for magic all the same.

So why was she here? What was she even going to accomplish?

She would just be another mage who'd spend her whole life doing nothing of value.

Neria felt tired, the grip on her staff began to lose strength.

The demon was in front of her, holding her hands on her cheeks as if trying to comfort her.

" **There is no reason to go on** " The demon whispered, " **Wouldn't it be nice to just... let it all end? No more pain, no more sadness. Only... silence eternal** "

That sounded... comforting. What purpose had a bird if they had no wings to fly on? What was hope, if not another thing denied to them mages?

...Hope was the capacity to smile every day, despite the clutches of circumstance never showing you any favor. It was a sign of strength, to cry out against the darkness, to shout 'I am here' to an empty and uncaring world.

Neria did not know where this sudden surge of strength came from, but she took comfort in it. She remembered when she first came to the Circle, lost and alone. The kind smiles of Wynne and Irving gave her comfort, the hand of another lost child grasping her own assured her everything was going to be okay, because they'd be here for her every step of the way.

She would be so selfish as to just abandon all that kindness they gave her.

In her mind she saw a light. Gentle, warm, yet fierce and righteous at the same time.

She grasped it. And in her empty hand formed a shaft of light with sharp end, its glow vanished the darkness from the cave.

Mouse jumped away in fright, while Despair floated away and cried out in agony. " **The light**!" Her screech was unnatural, not even a wounded animal would make such noise. " **The light**!" She tried to claw her own face, anything as to avoid the light.

Neria called forth a magic that was the demon's antithesis. Drive, justice, hope.

Order.

The mage thrusted the 'Spear' forward, deep into the demon's heart. Despair screamed as its figure cracked like broken glass, beams of light bursting free from the fissures, expanding more and more until finally the creature bursted into a shower of golden dots.

Neria gasped her eyes wide upon the sight of Despair's destruction. Soon the cave itself vanished as she found herself standing upon a massive open circular space with ethereal floating torches. The young mage perked up and shifted hearing Sarya cheer beside Valor who gave a respectful nod of approval in the distance.

It was then she realized Mouse was gone from her shoulder. "Well done!" She turned on her heels at Mouse in human form a good distance away. "You succeeded in your Harrowing." Was he… afraid to get near her?

The elf gave a weary grin; "I had good help."

"Now you can do what I can't. Leave this infernal place."

A sympathetic smile came from Neria; "I wish I could help." At that Mouse cautiously walked over.

"Maybe you could?" Confusion etched on the young elf's face; "There could be a way I might be able to leave with you."

Confusion slowly crept away from her mind as a small suspicious feeling started to build. For the longest time Neria stared at Mouse. "...The test isn't over is it." It was a statement more than question.

Mouse coyly smiled; "Of course it is. You journeyed the Fade and faced your demon. You've proven yourself capable and powerful. You are a true mage for which your teacher will be proud of. Perhaps the title of Grand Enchanter awaits one of your caliber." He leaned in still smiling; "And all I ask is hand to help me be free."

She gripped her staff tighter as she slowly back away. "Despair wasn't the only part of the test..." Neria's eyes shone with determination as she glared; "You're the real demon..."

At that Mouse gave a pouting expression before laughing. But his voice had changed, it was deeper. Dark and malicious. " **Well smarter than most I see. Too easy can one fall prey to the Fade when they trust so blindly. Be it overconfidence... Or Pride**..."

Mouse's body soon grew before enveloped within light. It faded to appear a monstrous giant with scaly purple skin, massive forearms with long twisted spikes on it elbows. Horns adorning it head with multiple diamond shaped eyes glaring down at her.

The young Circle mage nearly leap back with her staff ready and holy spear in each hand. Mouse growled with a sneer; " **True tests never end Neria Surana. Remember that well**..."

It was then light covered Neria as she vanished. The demon growled, how he hated his bound existence to that accursed Circle, so many mages, talented and perfect for hosts, yet all away from his reach.

"Hey ugly!" Mouse shifted his large head and scowled seeing that... whatever or whoever that 'Sarya' was as she stood beside that obnoxious spirit of Valor near the massive demon.

" **You... I have no idea what you are, but you feel as something beyond the Fade. I thought I had witnessed all manner of creatures and entities, but you** " The Pride demon lowered its head until it was right above Sarya's. " **You are something more** "

"It's a family thing" The grey elf airily said. "I have to say, I find the Fade intriguing. And I find you 'demons'" She let a soft laugh, "hilarious, you actually think you are above mortals. Oh please, you DEPEND on mortals for your existence. You have no will of your own, you only follow the nature the dreams of mortals gave you" She tilted her head with a condescending smile. "The only reason people consider you threats is because they don't fully understand how malleable your existence is"

The great creature growled hatefully, " **You better watch your tongue**..."

"Or what? You're bound by the Circle are you not? I find myself mystified on how that did not shatter your 'pride'. But I guess I can't expect much from the figment of someone's imagination"

Sarya did not flinch as Mouse roared in her face. The Telvanni mage snorted; "I've heard roars that could shake the ground and crack the sky. That sounded like a mild whine to me."

Valor held back a snort as Mouse sneered with utter rage in his eyes; " **Were I not bound by that blast circle I would gladly tear you both asunder.** "

"I'd watch yourself Pride. This is not a being to confront." Valor warned though he would relish to battle and put an end to this demon alongside Sarya.

" **Be silent Valor**."

"I've met true demons" Sarya continued, inching closer to the Pride's maw. "True manifestations of chaos and change, as well as the embodiment's of concepts so vast your 'pride' is barely a grain of dust before their magnificence. So run along, little thought-form, the winds of fate are howling" Her form shimmered, slowly vanishing into motes of light. "I can feel you won't survive the maelstrom"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

"You are going to leave indent in the floor if you keep pacing."

"Oh hush, I'm allowed worried."

A young man dressed in dark purple and blue mage robes rolled his brown eyes. His face average with short scruffy brunette hair and a fair complexion, Jowan was at best a plain looking man. Pacing close by was one of his closest friends since coming to the Circle. Unlike him she was a fair pale skinned beauty with long raven colored hair, a perfect hourglass figure for which her velvet mage robes hugged her curves and bust generously. But what were most striking were her sapphire eyes which at the moment held intense worry.

Both stood around in the Apprentice Quarters of the circle. This was a massive open room with dozen or so beds for learning apprentice magic users and people just brought in by the Templars. Privacy was not much of an luxury here, especially since the baths and lavatories were in the room next to it and Templars watching every move.

Still, comfort could be found in the small things. Mostly friendship which was what made Brianna Amell pace as Jowan watched while they waited for their other dearest friend who was currently facing her harrowing.

"You have some faith in Neria don't you?" Jowan asked with a raised brow.

Brianna paused as she glared towards the man; "Of course I bloody do. But I can't help it."

"Neria is one of the most talented mages I know, she'll make it through"

Of that Brianna had no doubt, but one couldn't blame her for worrying about her best friend. Neria's skill in magic was unquestionable, but it was the Templars in which Brianna lacked any sort of faith in. Those bucket heads were always looking for the smallest sign of 'corruption', anything to put down mages.

The Amell would not trust them to give her the hour of day, much less believe they'd show restraint. She did not hide her low opinion of them, and that had gotten her in trouble quite a few times. But Brianna did not care, they had taken her freedom, they would not take her voice as well.

Jowan and Neria had lost count on how many arguments Brianna and the Knight-Commander had.

The Harrowing, as it name implied, was a very dangerous ordeal. One that Brianna was happy to have gotten it over with. It was simply insane, thrust a mage without warning into making contact with a demon without preparing them first? That's how the Abominations they hated so much happened in the first place, by being unprepared. The trials they faced, the fear which the Templars did not bother quelling, it drove many mages to desperation. Some even went as far as to choose to become Tranquil.

Of course, the Templars were all too happy with that solution...

The large doors to the quarters opened, and all eyes turned to see two Templars entering the room, carrying a stretcher one at each end. On the stretcher was Neria, the elven mage had her eyes closed, completely unaware of what was happening around her.

Brianna couldn't have moved to her side any faster. "Neria!" She spoke her name in concern.

"She has passed her harrowing" One of the Templars informed her, "But is exhausted"

Relief flushed over Brianna and Jowan as they watched the Templars place Neria on one of the beds. "Quickest harrowing to date next to yours Amell." The other Templar spoke before leaving with his comrade out of the quarters.

Brianna had ignored them as she and Jowan sat on either side of the bed where their elven friend laid. The raven haired mage adjusted some of Neria's bangs saying nothing as she watched her friend's sleeping face.

Hard to believe this was the crying little elven girl her and Jowan found hiding under one of the beds after being ripped from her family and brought here. All three had roughly been taken to Kinloch Hold around the same time and age, though Jowan was the oldest by a year. An unlikely friendship, but friends were all you had in this damn prison. And Brianna cherished Neria and Jowan both deeply.

"She might not wake for a bit," Jowan quietly spoke.

"I'm not leaving her side." Brianna spoke back with resolution which made her male friend sigh.

Thankfully neither had to fully wait too long as Neria had begun to stir with a soft groan. Her eyes open being greeted by the warm gazes of her two oldest friends. "Welcome back," The young Amell grinned.

The elf slowly sat up, her entire body fell groggy and sore, and the Harrowing had taken a lot out of her. But it was clear from the look in her eyes she was happy to have passed. "Well, that was... thrilling"

"Sure, nothing to get the blood flowing like fighting a demon" Brianna sardonically said. "In my Harrowing I faced a Desire demon. Pretty as a dream she was, offered me anything I wanted. Got reeeeeeally handsy, was a shame but of course I had to burn her face off"

"Figures you were tempted by a pretty face" Neria grumbled as she massaged her neck and stretched, popping the joints.

Her friend snorted, "What about you, what did you face?"

"Despair"

Brianna made a face as she hissed, "Oh those are bad. But you're here and it's not, ergo: You're awesome" At that, Neria couldn't help but laugh a little.

Jowan sighed, "Hearing you girls talk like that makes me I'll never get my harrowing" He paced around with his arms crossed. "I've been here longer than you and I've still haven't been called"

The human woman sighed, pinching her nose; "Okay Jowan. First; not that much longer all things considered. Second; your grades need to improve before they decide you're ready"

The male mage blushed in embarrassment, "I think I've been doing good lately" Granted, because the two were giving him multiple study lessons every night and making sure the knowledge was being drilled directly into his head if they had too. This meant long, long tedious hours of hitting the books...

And it was finally paying off, if only just as their friend had been making improvements. Neria with a groan stood up from the bed; "You'll get there Jowan, don't fret." Count on their elven comrade to have the most optimism among them.

"Says the girl personally trained by the First Enchanter." Jowan mumbled with light scowl.

The elven mage only shrugged as the Apprentice doors opened revealing a young human woman with scarlet hair in a ponytail, fair skin, and brown eyes dressed in a tan mage's robe. "Ah there you are!"

"Petra?" Brianna spoke as she and Jowan stood.

A nod came from their fellow mage before her sights went back to Neria; "First Enchanter wanted to see you when you were up to it. Congratulations surviving you're harrowing."

"Thank you." Neria gave a smile as Petra left having relayed her message. The now fully fledged mage turned to her friends; "No time like the present I guess. I'm going to see what teacher wants."

"Most likely award you with your own private quarters like I have." Brianna hoped it would be the room next to hers.

Right, once an apprentice became a fully-fledged mage they were allowed their own room on the second floor. Neria had seen one of their room in passing, would be nice to have some privacy. Well what a mage would consider privacy with Templars ever vigilant.

Saying her farewells, Jowan sighed as Neria left; "More studies for me..."

A faint smirk crept on Brianna's lips; "Studies? Is that what you call visiting your sweetheart?" Her friend only blushed.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

As she walked through the Hallway she met the passing glances of approval and acknowledgement of her peers, congratulating her on passing through the Harrowing. The Templars, the ones whose faces were visible, barely acknowledged at all. To them she was another mage to keep an eye out for, Harrowing or not. Though that shy one Cullen still stammered and babbled nonsense for some reason, he was still getting used to his role most likely.

As soon as she approached the First Enchanter's study, Neria heard him speaking with someone. "I know the situation in Ostagar is dire, but we have already sent a regiment"

Ostagar? That's where king's army was going to face the growing Darkspawn horde. It honestly scared her knowing Wynne was there, she knew the seasoned mage could take care of herself but that didn't stop her from worrying for any of the mages sent.

"I understand, and we're grateful for your support. But we can always use more recruits" Another strong voice that Neria didn't recognize spoke.

"I can't just hand over any mages. Beyond the fact that I need to consider the Circle's needs, you also need battle-tested mages. Of which we don't really have in large supply"

Her brow furrowed in confusion as she stepped through open door, allowing herself to enter. There she saw Irving and two other men, a human and an elf. The elf had short brown locks and possessed strong green eyes that stared at her with curiosity, apparently not paying much attention to the conversation between the First Enchanter and his companion. The human had a dark tanned skin and a strong build, wearing a distinct set of armor that looked rather light. As far as Neria knew, the only armor she had seen for years was the heavy plates of the Templars.

The First Enchanter turned to face her with a smile. "Ahh, there you are dear. May I introduce you to Warden-Commander Duncan, and his recruit Gin Tabris. This is our newly minted mage, Neria Surana"

The Warden-Commander? That was very unexpected. "It is an honor" She replied with a short bow. The elven man's name sounded rather... familiar to her, though she couldn't quite place it.

Gin's eyes however shone with recognition as he looked as if he had seen a ghost. Surana, Neria Surana. Images flooded his mind for moment of a little girl who played with him, Shianni, and Soris. A little girl who was discovered to have magic and forcefully taken by Templars who beaten her father for pleading with them.

"Neria..." The rogue elf whispered as said elven mage cock a brow. "Your father is Kailu Surana right?"

At that Neria's eyes lit up upon the mention of her father's name before she gave her fellow elf a long look over; "...By Andraste. Gin?!" Not even realizing it she ran over hugging the stunned elf.

"Well that is unexpected I would say." Irving spoke with a kind smile.

"I can't believe it!" Neria said as she and the other elf parted. "I haven't seen you since we were children!"

"Look at you" Gin said with a good natured smile, "A full mage huh? You must be brewing potions and doing all sorts of spells... If it's not clear, I have no idea what a mage does"

The mage laughed softly at his words, "Well there is potion making. But what about you? A Warden!" She gestured at him with her hands. "You must have really impressed them"

"Ssssort of" He awkwardly drawled. "Suffice it to say that Duncan saved my life when he could have let me die... which now means I'll die fighting Darkspawn" He said the last part with a droning voice.

The Warden-Commander looked amused by his words, patting him in the shoulder. "It'll be a good death"

"It's... better than the Alienage at least?" Neria shrugged, offering a weak smile.

"Endlessly fighting Darkspawn" He weighed on one hand, and then in the other; "Constant poverty under stuck up Shems... I honestly can't tell which is worse right now" Gin snorted, "Maybe the food will be better"

"Oh you won't be picky about food. Trust me" Duncan said with a cryptic smile as he turned to Irving once more. "So this is your apprentice then? I heard promising things about her"

Irving frowned at the man, already figuring what was going on behind those eyes. It was always the same whenever a Warden wanted a recruit. "Don't even think about it, Neria is fresh off her Harrowing. And she has a very promising future here in the Circle of Magi"

Neria looked between her teacher and Warden-Commander while Gin thumbed behind him outside the open door. "Not to sound rude, but being constantly eyeballed by Templars does not sound charming."

Hearing that Irving let out a long tired sigh; "Believe me when I say young man I harbor no love for Templars. But at the same time magic can be dangerous if not controlled and mastered. And there are those who let hate control them to lead down a path into wicked practices. Templars are a necessary means to ensure the less moral bound do not run amok." He paused; "And there are a few Templars that are honorable and decent men and women."

Oh Brianna would 'strongly' disagree on that but Neria kept quiet. She turned her sights over to Duncan; "So your recruiting?"

"Yes, but afterwards I must return to Ostagar with Gin, and whoever Irving will allow me to recruit."

The First Enchanter rolled his eyes; "And as I stated Duncan, we have no mages in Kinloch Hold who are truly battle tested." He cleared his throat; "but we can discuss this later. Neria." The young elf perked up; "Since you passed your Harrowing you can now get a private quarter." He turned to his desk picking up a folded beautiful red and black mage's robe, and an exquisitely carved staff with two highly detailed dragons intertwined. Their heads roaring at each other's which held a small orb. "Something I've been planning to give you."

He offered the staff to Neria who took it with reverence, inspecting the texture and testing the staff's capacity to channel her magic. She found it flowed much easier than any staff she held before. Not counting the staff she used in the Fade but that was an unfair comparison as that had been a spiritual crafted item.

"Veridium wrapped in ring velvet" Irving smiled, "Specially enchanted for rapid casting" He looked at her with so much pride. "Congratulations my child, you are a full-fledged mage of the Circle. You will do great things" He spoke with utmost certainty.

The elven mage couldn't stop the smile from splitting her face, feeling an immense sense of accomplishment and cheer at having come so far. But more importantly, that she had lived up to Irving's expectations. She nearly enveloped the old man in a hug, but that would not be proper, particularly in front of other people, she held herself back and instead gave him a grateful nod. It was all she could do as words failed her to convey what she was feeling.

"Now" Irving continued, gesturing to the Warden and his recruit. "Could you show our Wardens to the guest rooms? Afterwards you can take the day off, you've earned it"

"Of course" She nodded, placing the set of robes under her arm as she gripped her staff properly. "Come, I'll guide you" They left the room following after the elven mage, the bottom of her staff tapping against the floor with each step.

"Well, it was big day for you I see" Gin smiled

"A Harrowing is the most important test for a mage" Duncan spoke knowingly.

Neria looked at him curiously, "You are familiar with our rites Ser Warden?"

"I've seen enough in my journeys" Was all he said.

When it was clear he would say no more, Neria just let it be. She gave Gin another look over, he looked well enough she supposed. At least well fed, and his clothes weren't in too bad a state, seemed like Duncan haven't given him his own armor yet. From what she remembered of the Alienage, more than a few elves would look far too thinner than their race should. She had lived a rather comfortable life in the Circle all things considered, at least food wasn't scarce and it was decent. It was more than most elves could say. So she was glad Gin was doing well for himself... as far as his currents circumstances suggest, she still had no idea what was it that Duncan saved him from, but Gin had very much stated his life had been on the line.

Maker, she had not thought about the Alienage in... A very long time. A big of part of it was though she did not want to remember it too much. It always hurt to remember her father; she would torment herself fearing the worst had happened to him ever since she was taken.

But now there was someone who could actually put her fears at ease... or confirm them. Either way, she needed to know.

"Gin, how... how is my father?"

The male elf rubbed his neck; "I... think he's alright. I'm sorry Neria, I don't know him very well. He seldom leaves his house"

He saw her ears dip, it's not a bad thing to have hope. But Gin knew better with his life in the Alienage having taught him well. Still, after reuniting with an old friend he did wish he had a bit more to tell her. Sadly only his father went to check on Kailu after Neria was taken away, but he never told Gin how the man was faring.

But the grim expression spoke more than words ever could.

Gin gave Neria credit as he saw her shake off the negativity before speaking; "How are Shianni and Soris?"

At that the rogue elf snorted; "What do you remember about them?"

"Shianni was bossy, and Soris would jump at the sight of his own shadow."

"Not much has changed then."

Beside them Duncan lightly overheard while observing mages and Templars who passed them by. Absently his eyes wandered as he swore he felt eyes watching them closely. Perhaps the Calling was getting to him more than he thought.

In a small dark spot near a pillar a bat observed him and the two elves quietly.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

After being brought to the guest quarters which was a simple room with modest furnishings. Duncan told Gin he could roam about and speak with Neria if he liked. Currently Gin stood outside of Neria's new mage quarters as she was putting on her new robes. The city elf glanced to the room beside hers. "These rooms look better than my house back home."

"It's better than the apprentice quarters, you don't even have privacy." The young mage taking off her old apprentice robe. She plopped it on her new bed as she beamed at her new robes. Lustrous cotton and Everknit wool? Well they did have the materials here, but this was not cheap by any means to procure. "Well Bri should be happy my room is with hers."

"Bri?"

"Brianna Amell, my friend since coming to this place along with a fellow named Jowan. They're humans." Her was voice wary as put on her new robes.

Gin rolled his eyes; "If you are wondering, I don't hate all shems. Duncan is a good guy and I know a few back home. I only got problems with bigots and nobles." He paused for a moment. "How do humans in the Circle treat you by the way? I imagine you all being mages puts you in the same boat"

Neria hummed as she adjusted her sleeves; "Well, it's... complicated. The way I hear it, it varies from Circle to Circle. I haven't really gotten much problem from humans here, baring the occasional teacher who thought I couldn't grasp a subject properly because of the shape of my ears" She grumbled, "But those were rare. And with the Templars... well, I honestly can't tell. Templars in general are always suspicious of mages, so if I got nasty looks from one could have been because I'm a mage and not because I'm an elf. I'm not too certain"

"At least they don't call you knife-ear"

"There is that" She patted her skirt, straightening out her robes. They fit her figure decently. "The Kirkwall Circle has an elf for its First Enchanter, but from what I hear that's rare to happen. You can imagine how elven mages fare in places like Orlais..."

"Ugh" The city elf grunted, "Orlais... I'm not sure if I dislike them because I'm an elf, or because I'm Ferelden" National pride or racial pride? Hard to choose. Both? He could dislike Orlais both ways he supposed. "I've seen some of their rich shems from time to time in Denerim, they treat their elven servants like pets to show off"

"Well" Neria said as she stepped out of her room, clad in her new robes. "When life seems too difficult, I guess you can always say; 'At least I don't live in Orlais'"

Gin snorted before he took in the sight of the young elven mage. Now he was no clothing expert, but he had to admit the blending of a dark blood red accented black looked quite well. And it fit well to Neria's lithe figure. Plus with her new staff she held with reverence, the rogue elf gave a nod; "I can say with all honesty you look damn good."

A faint blush dusted Neria's cheeks with a small grin. "W-well. Let me show you around."

"Be honored."

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

No one particularly took notice of a bat that flew into the library and landed on the top of one of many towering book shelves. All filled with history, spell tomes, everything a mage would dream for. Granted it would pale in comparison to places like Mora's realm of Apocrypha. But Serana doubted these mages would be interested in such forbidden arcane.

She made sure to not cause too much noise, no reason to prompt one of these mages to use a spell on her to get rid of the annoying flying rodent. So she merely stuck to shadows and came down once she was certain no one was seeing her, her curiosity gaining the better of her.

While there were multiple labels that covered subjects beyond magic, Serana was more interested in main sections which classified their main schools of magic, under each section the titles of the books revealed more information which made it easier for Serana to paint a larger picture on what each school stood for.

Creation; The art of harnessing nature and conjuring protective and healing energies. Entropy; The school of hexes and curses. Spirit; That which dealt with the soul and the metaphysical. And Primal; the sheer power of elemental forces.

While Serana could see the similarities they bore to the classical Tamriel schools of magic, she suspected she would find more distinctions if she were to ever read the books in depth. Her natural curiosity and interest in magic peeking, the vampire was certain that if Sarya were here, she wouldn't leave until she had read every single last book.

She stayed upon one of the shelves as a mage walked too close to her location, a young boy, no more older than fifteen, called to a man with a short cropped haired older man who bore a sun symbol on his forehead, said man was carrying a few items that looked to be magical in nature.

"Excuse me Owain; do you know where the book for the practical applications of elemental magic can be found?"

"Primal Section. Third shelf" The sun marked man replied.

His voice... there was nothing there. Just an empty, droning sound bereft any kind of infliction or emotion. The man's gaze was completely focused and passive, as if there was absolutely nothing around him that could be of notice or interest to him... if could even feel as such anymore.

Serana had heard about this horrible practice, but a part of her hoped it was just exaggerations.

Tranquil... Now seeing it for herself, that poor man was dead. Not like her, at least as an undead vampire she still had her soul. But this man, he no longer had a soul. It was shattered, broken, destroyed in whatever the barbaric process that turned people into such abominations.

It would be a mercy to kill him. Better to die than remain as some kind of empty shell. But she would stay her hand knowing it would likely draw unwanted attention from the mages and templars.

Her blood boiled at this savage atrocity, her lover along with the kids would be furious. Sarya the most given her pride as a Telvanni mage. Oh the girl would burn the Templars to cinders if she could.

"Have you read all these?" the voice of her little thief caught her attention. Her eyes turned to sight of him and that Neria girl who seemed to be showing the lad around.

Said mage bit back a snort; "Maybe Finn has but no I haven't."

"Resident bookworm I take it"

"Oh you have no idea" The darker skinned elf sighed, "There is a line between being a scholar and being obsessed"

"It's not obsession Neria!" A voice called out from the other side of the shelves right next to them, followed by the sounds of books being arranged and then re-arranged. Behind rows of books a small opening was made in an empty space, allowing the face of a young looking mage to be seen, "It's paying proper respect to our library!"

The elven mage rolled her eyes, "The other day you berated an apprentice for returning a book just fifteen minutes late..."

"Society has rules; we can't live in a world of chaos!"

Neria gave Gin a suffering look, "See what I have to put up with?"

"I'd say it's a mage thing. But I guess he's just a special case" The city elf casually replied.

The human behind the books frowned, "I'll have you know that my task is of utmost importance. Each book here needs to be catalogued and properly archived and preserved. We're talking about centuries of research and-"

Neria rubbed her temple at the incoming headache, not really having the patience to put up with another one of his rants, she said; "Finn, someone is about to put a Force magic book in the Primal section"

The other mage let out a horrified grasp as he disappeared behind the rest of the books, "No! That is not where it goes!" Soon the young man ran off to another section of the library.

Gin only blinked before he shook his head; "Well that was something."

The two elves conversed before finding a table were Brianna sat going through several pages of a tome; "Bri!" The young Amell looked up before a smile graced her lips. Neria glanced to Gin; "Gin this is Brianna Amell, Bri, this is Gin Tabris, I knew him back in the Alienage in Denerim."

At that Brianna gave a nod to Gin. "We don't get many guests here. A pleasure."

"Well met. Special case if you count I'm here with Warden-Commander Duncan."

"Oh so that rumor was real after all. Grey Wardens are here."

Gin let out a mild grunt; "Technically I'm a recruit. Duncan's here to see if your First Enchanter will let a mage join us."

Her blue eyes widened in surprise, "Really? That's... interesting. You'd think the mages that were drafted to Ostagar would be enough"

"Duncan still wants a mage in the Wardens"

"I see" Her eyes seemed to gleam at his words.

Neria knew her friend well enough to tell what was going on through her head. "You're not honestly considering it are you?"

"Considering what?" Brianna played the innocent. "I have no idea what you're talking about"

The elven mage bit back a sigh, knowing full well of her friend's desire to leave the Circle one day. Indeed, there were many who shared Brianna's ambition, to one day be recruited into the Wardens as to escape the life in the Circle. To Neria that was no life at all, what did it matter leaving the oversight of the Chantry if you were to spend your whole life fighting monsters?

Gin shrugged, "Do you have any experience in fighting?"

The human flipped a lock of hair over her shoulder, looking rather proud of herself. "Top of my class in offensive spells"

"Impressive" The city elf said, "Now how much of actual combat experience do you have?"

"Um, I fought a demon... Once"

Amell blushed at the dry stare coming from the Warden-to-be before she cleared her throat. "At any rate, I know how to fight."

Gin was starting to understand why the First Enchanter's had obvious misgivings. From what he'd seen none of these mages, Neria included, had really any combat sense. And it did not matter how good you are, an untested blade was a huge gamble to rely on.

"Knowing how to fight is not the same as being in a fight." and the roguish elf had been in a few scraps in Denerim. Granted fighting Darkspawn was a very different contrast compared to people. But the principle was the same overall. "Besides Ostagar I'll likely be down in the Deep Roads with the Dwarves fighting Darkspawn. And they don't get breaks against them like us."

Neria was a bit surprised how serious Gin was speaking about this. Brianna only looked wide eyed never breaking eye contact with elven man who stared back. "And that's what I and whoever else joins us from here will be doing. Fighting those monsters till we die or they kill us."

Serana liked him.

"Wow" The human mage muttered. "Sounds like you've resigned to your fate like that"

"It's just how it is" Gin shrugged. "Ain't no changing it"

It was then that another voice interrupted, "Ahh there you two are" Jowan said as he approached them.

"Gin, this is our friend Jowan" Neria gestured as she introduced the warden recruit. "We've been friends since we were little"

"A pleasure" The city elf cordially said.

"Likewise" His gaze became anxious as he looked at his friends, "There is a... matter I need your help with. Might we talk privately"

"Oh" Neria blinked, "Is it urgent?"

"Very much so" Neither Brianna nor Neria liked the way he said it.

"I see" She gave Gin an apologetic look, "I'm sorry Gin, we have to cut this short."

"I get it" He gave a nod in understanding. "I'll go back to Duncan, will see you later" He said his goodbyes as he parted and the left the three mages to their business.

"So" Brianna prompted as she stared at Jowan, "What's wrong?"

"Not here" The male mage shook his head. "Follow me"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

The Chantry chapel, based on the first floor near the Apprentice quarters. It was modestly furnished with several pews, statues, shelves with all sorts of religious texts. Lay sisters, initiates, and revered mothers tended to dutifully to those who came seeking guidance. A place Brianna had less interest or love for than the Templars. It went without saying she was no Andrestian given how the Chantry destroyed her family. She could remember her mother's despair and wails as she and her four siblings were taken by the Templars. The memory of her brothers and sister screaming and crying as they split apart and placed into these damn circle towers.

Young Amell hated the Chantry with every fiber of her being.

As they followed Jowan into the chapel Brianna saw Keili praying near a statue of Andraste. Fat lot of good some bloody guidance this place had been for that poor broken girl.

They neared a corner where both ladies saw a woman about their age in chantry robes with neck length auburn hair and fair skin, knelt down and praying. Amell recognized her while Neria gave a curious tilt of her head. Upon hearing footsteps the woman turned showing a pretty face with warm brown eyes and full red lips.

"Jowan," her voice soft as she stood embracing Jowan who returned it.

Amell noticed Surana looked more confused. She bit back a sigh, Bri loved Neria but that girl could be so clueless at times. "Am I missing something?" Neria muttered.

Definitely clueless.

"That's Jowan little lady friend"

"Oh" Her eyes widened as elven ears perked up. "As in lady friends like us or the other kind"

"The _other_ kind" Brianna said slowly.

"Ahhhh" The elf blinked a couple of time. "Can't say I saw it coming. N-Not that there is anything wrong with Jowan I-it's just-"

"No need to say it" The dark haired woman said, rising up her palms. "Jowan isn't exactly a smooth talker, sure as hell surprised me when I found out"

Said human mage took that moment to address them with a somewhat irritated tone. "If you're done making fun of me-"

"Never" Brianna cut in quickly.

Jowan pretended he didn't hear that. "-This is Lily, we've been together for some time now. I don't need to tell how many dozens of rules we're breaking"

"Technically just two rules" Neria thought it was proper to point it out. " _'No romantic relationship between members of the Circle and the Chantry_ ', under the same section that forbids any kind of relationship of that nature when mages are involved. And I imagine Lily's own vows to the chantry. Unless you've committed another illicit activity we don't know of"

The elf got two deadpanning looks and one awkward stare from the Chantry woman.

"S-Sorry" She blushed in embarrassment. "T-This whole situation caught me off-guard so I'm nervous about keeping this secret now, and you know I ramble when I get nervous and-"

"I can't believe you are Irving's pupil" Brianna droned.

When it came to magic, Neria was the best among the trio. That said, when it came down to intimate relations between people the girl was an utterly and completely innocent. Just talking about those topics turned the poor thing scarlet.

Amell sighed with her hands on her hips before gazing back between Jowan and Lily; "So I take it this is not some formal introduction?"

Lily gave a nod; "Indeed, I recently learned about why Jowan has not been taken to his Harrowing." The Chantry initiate darted around them to see if anyone else was close by. Seeing none she leaned in to whisper; "The First Enchanter and Knight-Commander suspect Jowan of Blood Magic."

Surana's and Amell's respected hearts almost stopped. The sole forbidden school of magic across Thedas for its twisted abuse of power from a mage using their blood to amplify their magics. This also gave you the power to manipulate and control people's minds while also corrupting them and the mage wielding it.

The Chantry was happy enough to show the dangers of such practices by the actions of Tevinter and their magisters who forced their way into the Fade and the Maker's Kingdom. Thus cursing them and bringing about the Darkspawn.

Whether that was actually true or not Brianna was unsure. But she was certain Blood Magic was a vile practice, and she along Neria knew one thing. "Jowan would never use that." The elven mage said, and Brianna agreed vehemently.

A relieved grin came from the man; "Knew you two would be on my side."

"Why would they suspect you of Blood Magic in the first place?" Brianna asked in bewilderment.

Their friend sighed as he let his shoulder slump forward. "I have no idea. Lately my spells have been progressing more in potency, maybe they saw that as a sign?"

The Amell's face shifted through various stages of anger before she finally managed to control herself. "Are they that desperate to accuse any of us of Blood Magic? The Templars and the Chantry would just rather execute us all and be done with it..." She muttered in loathing.

Lily shifted at her words, "Blood Magic is a vile art, but I agree that some of the policies and methods the order has taken when policing mages can be... extreme at times. I'm afraid of what they'll to do Jowan"

"They could make me Tranquil!" The thought alone was enough to nearly send him into hysterics. "I'd forget everything, my friendship with you two, my time with Lily, I'll just be husk!"

"Calm down Jowan" Neria said placating, "Maybe we can talk to Irving, get it cleared up"

"Bad idea" Brianna countered as she crossed her arms, "He'll demand we tell him where we heard this, and we'd be putting us all in risk"

The elven mage sighed heavily, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Then what are we going to do?"

"...There is only one option" Jowan spoke up determined, "We'll find my phylactery and destroy it, then Lily and I will flee together"

The sorceresses looked at him alarmed; "Jowan" The Amell said slowly, "Even if they don't take you in for Blood Magic, they CAN imprison you for trying to escape. You wanna be like Anders; spend half your bloody time trapped in a cell?" Heavens knew where that useless idiot was hiding now, not too long ago he had escaped (yet again) this time accompanied by that elven mage Adalora.

"They won't if we destroy my phylactery"

"Jowan, the phylacteries are in the basement which is guarded by Sentinels. Never mind the basement door is sealed." Neria explained.

But he did not seem to listen; "And for one mage it would be impossible to get in. But the three of us could."

Both ladies were quiet for several minutes before Amell leaned in; "You are suggesting both me and Neria to potentially get ourselves thrown in prison or worse made Tranquil just to break your phylactery and escape."

At the very least both Jowan and Lily both had guilty expressions; "I'm asking a lot and I know I'm putting you both at risk. But it's either end up like Owain, thrown in cell, or escape." Jowan's voice a desperate whisper.

Neria's ears dipped as a sigh escaped Brianna's lips. Both glanced towards each other before turning back to their friend and Lily. "What can we do?" The elf asked quietly.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

The young Chantry woman peered over the corners, seeing nobody approaching she quickly signaled the others. "It's clear"

Brianna knelt before the locked doors, letting her magic flow through her fingers as she got to work. One good thing she learnt from Anders was how to handle locks. Oh it wasn't through lockpicks or anything of the lick, but metal had an interesting reaction when electricity touched it.

She inserted a hair pin through the keyhole and channeled smaller arcs of lightning through it, allowing it to discharge at the inner mechanisms of the lock.

Apply too much, and the lock melted right off, and then everyone would know someone had broken in. But hit just the right amount and...

 _Click_

Brianna smiled to herself as the door unlocked, standing up she pushed it open and did an exaggerated curtsy for the others. "After you~"

Jowan and Lily pretty much sprinted right through, while Neria gave one last look back to check they weren't being follow. The anxious and conflicted look on her face plain as day. Brianna couldn't really blame her for feeling like this, and she sort of blamed Jowan for putting them on the spot like this, on the day Neria had just passed her harrowing no less. Her elven friend just had a terrible problem with saying no; she always went with what other people decided. Neria just didn't know how to live beyond the rules imposed to her since childhood.

Brianna was the opposite, the rules of the Chantry were chains she felt every single day, tugging at her limbs, chocking her to the point she couldn't breathe. And whenever she tried to pull free they tug at her harder, pulling her, like the armored arms of the Templars who ripped her away from her mother's arms.

She had been only a child, but remembered every scene of that moment with perfect clarity. The wailing and tearful face of her mother, the cold and hard gauntlets grabbing her arms, the sound her shoes made against the floor as she struggled to break free.

Brianna couldn't see a Templar and not be reminded of what she lost. Her freedom, her family, her siblings, whom by some outstanding coincidence had all been born with magic, were all split and taken to different Circles, never to hear from each other again. She didn't even know if they were alive or not...

It would have been easy to fall into a despair like Keili, be a coward like Anders, act like Uldred and his Libertarians, or turn into a Maleficar. But she refused; she would never give the Templars the satisfaction or pleasure to see her become a broken shell like so many. She would stay true to herself and the people she held dear.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

"This place is more like labyrinth than a bloody basement," Brianna chided as she and the others walked through the one of many long halls.

The basement was huge with multiple rooms, mostly storage housing ancient books and tomes. Numerous magical items and staffs, but hardly well maintained given the dust and cobwebs all over everything.

The young Amell not so innocently having taken a book on the Avvar much to her elven friend's disapproval. It was not long however before they encountered suits of armor in the halls becoming alive via magic and attacking them.

The Sentinels were a decent defensive measure at best, the automatons didn't move like a real person would, much less an actually experienced warrior. Their movements were sluggish, too stiff and mechanical. They only knew how to attack, running headfirst into danger. They were not the dwarves' famed golems that not only possessed incredible brute strength and durability, but knew how to act and reason just as well as any soldier.

To an apprentice the Sentinels could be a threat. But it so happened that two of the three mages present were apprentices no longer, and were regarded as having a very promising future ahead of them due to the mastery of their craft.

Neria conjured a barrier around them, Lily quickly hanging back as to avoid the fighting. While Brianna gathered raw telekinetic energies in her hands and thrust them out with a mighty burst that sent the animated armors flying, the various pieces of their gear falling apart as they collided with the floor and walls.

The Amell scoffed, these things were barely a test of her skill. Just another obstacle that made their quest unnecessarily longer than it needed to be. Once more she felt she was wasting her talents in this place, what was the point of training their magic if they were never to use it?

She should have been out there, fighting with Wynne and the others. Doing something, anything, worthwhile with her life...

If her phylactery was here she'd actually consider joining Jowan, finally get away from this accursed prison. But it wasn't, her own little leash was in Denerim, and she wouldn't risk the Templars chasing her till the ends of the earth.

But above all else, she couldn't leave Neria alone; Brianna knew full well the elven mage would not leave.

She shook those thoughts away as they entered the main storage room. She could feel the energy coming from various artifacts here, from an assortment of items dedicated to the study of the arcane, to even enchanted pieces of gear, weapons and armor, the Circle would make to whoever payed enough coin.

"Do you think the Phylacteries are here?" Jowan asked.

"No" The Chantry sister shook her head. "The phylacteries are to be kept in a chamber further in, hidden behind a secret passage of sorts if I'm not wrong"

Beside Neria who marveled at a large tome of spells, Brianna stared over at the statue of woman holding a spear. Much like the statues of Andraste, this statue was highly detailed, from the clothing she wore to her facial features. Someone took a great of amount of time and effort to make this. But why was it here?

The Amell's curiosity was shared as the others joined her looking at it; "Why is this here?" Jowan spoke up beside his lover.

What came next made all of them jump as an ethereal and feminine voice spoke out of nowhere; " _Greetings_."

"Sweet Maker did that statue talk!?" Neria almost yelled beside Brianna who was equally surprised.

" _I am Eleni Zinovia, Consort and advisor of Archon Velerius_."

"Archon..." Lily recognized that title as did the others; "of the Tevinter Imperium..."

"Unbelievable" The elven mage muttered, tapping her chin. "Trans-mutated or… had her soul ripped away from her body and put here"

Brianna leaned in, giving the statue a closer look, "Whatever you did must have angered him greatly"

"Stop talking to it!" Lily begged, "It's from Tevinter, it's an evil thing!"

Well, Brianna was starting to think Lily might be a touch too naïve, those were the Chantry's words speaking through her mouth. She didn't believe Tevinter was as monstrous as Chantry propaganda painted them as, but neither did she think they were ill founded. Tevinter did enslave nearly all the continent once, and their rule had been very tyrannical. From what she heard, a lot of magisters still kept the same spirit of their predecessors.

" _Yes, my gift of prophecy was a boon my lord's house. Till I spoke of its fall and his death. He punished me by turning me into stone for all times..._ "

"I'm sorry" Brianna regretfully said, "I wish there was some way to help you"

" _Weep not for me children, stone they made and stone I shall be. And so I shall endure until the Golden Dragon returns to light the fires of the gods_." With that, the statue fell silent.

The Amell tilted her head quizzically at the now silent statue. "What does that mean?"

"Ambiguous rubbish" Jowan scoffed, "I can do it too; 'the sun grows dark, but lo here comes the dawn!'" He mockingly articulated the first vaguely poetic words that came to his mind.

"Stop talking to it please" Lily begged, clearly uncomfortable still with the presence of anything that was even remotely from Tevinter.

"We're wasting time" Neria spoke up, "Look around; there should be something that opens the hidden passage"

And so the four split up, searching through every corner of the room. The elven mage fiddled with a few runes set up on display but these were inert. Jowan and Lily searched through various books in hopes of finding any clue that would further their objective. Meanwhile, Brianna closely scanned the walls for any type of magic in them in hopes of finding something that would lead them to the secret chamber. The Amell huffed in frustration, running a hand through her long dark locks before crossing her arms in frustration, they were getting nowhere.

She idly stared at the mabari-like statue in the center of the room; it was strange that it would place right there when that talking statue was in a corner. Her eyes frowned in thought; "Isn't it odd that this thing is positioned right here?" She called everyone's attention towards the dog statue.

Neria came closer to inspect it, "I can feel traces of magic, but so I can from everything on this room"

"Wait" Jowan's eyes lit up in recognition, "I read about these things, it's a Tevinter made mortar! It can fire strong blasts of magic!"

"Why does this place has so many Tevinter artifacts?" Lily muttered in distress.

Brianna looked at where the dog statue was facing, "And it's pointing right to that bookcase" Or more specifically, the wall behind it.

"It's our best bet" Neria said, finding no other option. "Help me get this out of the way" The Amell nodded as both sorceresses carefully moved the bookcase away using a combined display of telekinetic magic.

"So now we should blast this wall" Jowan said as he placed his hand upon the dog's head.

"Am I the only one who finds it strange that entrance for the phylactery room needs to be destroyed in order to access it?" Brianna drawled dryly, "I sincerely doubt they designed it that way"

"Most likely not" The dark skinned elf shrugged, "We obviously haven't found the right way to open it, but we're pressed for time, might as well get on with it and cover our tracks"

The female human mage rolled her eyes, "Blast away"

And so the statue did, firing a burst of flaming magic so strong it brought down the wall with a loud explosion, sending rubble and dust flying everywhere. They coughed and waved their arms through the cloud of dust. Hopefully the blast didn't gather any attention from the rest of the Tower. But considering how often explosions from spells could happen and one didn't even heard them unless they were on the same level, it wasn't likely that would happen.

They stepped through the newly opened arc and reach their true destination. A cold chamber with active ice runes carved on the walls that held multiple bottles storing red liquid. These were the leashes by which the Templars kept the mages in check; their instruments of finding them much like a hunter would employ hounds, the phylacteries.

"We're here at last!" Jowan cheered in jubilation, "Quickly, let's find which one is mine!"

They walked deeper into the chamber as they inspected the labels of all the mages there. Brianna sighed to herself, feeling the urge to just smash everything here, only mustering enough willpower to restrain herself from doing so.

"Maybe your phylactery could be here too Neria!" The prospect of freedom so close made Jowan keep his spirits high. "You could join us!"

The Surana's eyes widened in disbelief; "What?"

"You too Brianna!" He continued, "I know yours is in Denerim, but we'll be careful. Three mages together? No way the Templars will find us; we can find the Mages' Collective for help even!"

Brianna looked at her elven friend as she struggled to find the words. "I uh, I..."

The prospect of freedom almost rang like bell within the Amell before she shook her head. "It would be far too risky since they still have my phylactery. A Seeker could be sent after me for all I know, I won't risk it."

"And I can't just leave Brianna here alone," Neria said with resolution.

Always thinking of others over herself. Still, Bri felt her heart swell at the heartfelt words spoken. The Amell shook her head; "We just get you out of here Jowan."

At that the man's spirits deflated some; "It's... not right. You hate this place more than any of us Bri."

"I know. But I won't risk you or Neria's life for mine."

In the end, it was their bond as friends that mattered most between them. And none of them would ever bring harm to other. Lily could only admire them for the love these three had for one another. They were truly good people.

After a few minutes of searching they found their objective. Jowan held the small veil in his hands. "This tiny thing is my leash" He muttered, voice full of heavy emotion. "So small, so fragile" His hand grew slack, and it fell out of his palm and shattered onto the floor. Relief washed over him like a river; "I'm free..."

Lily held his hand lovingly while Neria and Brianna smiled at him, "So, 'free man'" The human mage said with kind humor in her voice. "What's your plan for getting out of the Circle? I don't think walking out the front door will help"

Those words managed to make his smile a touch more stiff and nervous; "I uh... haven't thought that far ahead yet"

Neria felt the urge to facepalm but resisted, Brianna however did not. "Of course..."

"I just have to think fast, don't worry" Jowan still kept on his optimism. "Now that my phylactery is gone, it's all going to be okay"

"Whatever happens" Neria gently spoke, "I know you'll be alright. And I hope you two can be happy"

The human male looked deeply touched by their actions, "I can't repay you enough, I-"

"Oh shut up, you're gonna make me all teary eyed" Brianna cut him off with humor in her voice, as to mask how close she was to crying. "Come here"

The three mages shared a quick but heartfelt embrace. All those years together would be about to come to an end, but at least they took comfort in knowing one of them would start a new better life. If one were to ask Neria and Brianna, it all had been worth it.

"Now let's get out of here"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Their mood was light as they made their way out of the basement. Neria and Brianna idled glanced towards the petrified figure of Eleni Zinovia before traversing through the halls. Luckily it did not take as long heading back now knowing their way through. Reaching the basement door they opened it quietly.

Peeking through none saw anyone and made their way out. Going up the stairs to the main floor their blood froze as they stopped at the sight of a dozen Templars with the Knight-Commander and First Enchanter standing ahead of them. Close by Duncan stood with Gin were watching as the commotion garnered their attention.

Unknown by any of them, a lone bat stuck to the shadows, observing.

"So what the Revered Mother told us was true." Greagoir's voice being steely and unwavering. "They were helping the Blood Mage. And the Chantry Initiate." Lily winced feeling the glares from the helmet clad Templars.

Neria only looked to the ground as she felt the mournful disappointment coming from her teacher.

Brianna however glared in defiance; "And where is your evidence that Jowan is a blood mage!? Though by those savages you call holy knights it wouldn't matter. Just another mage to be branded and broken as a Tranquil!"

"Mind your tongue Amell," the knight-commander growled.

"Enough!" Irving raised his voice with authority, looking very disappointed at the mages before them. "Young Jowan, while the speculation of you being a blood mage was only that, speculation, you have committed a grave offense in the face of the Circle's rules. This can't be overlooked"

"N-No! You can't do that!" Jowan shouted in horror, the feeling of victory was now very distant. "They were going to make me Tranquil!"

"They were investigating you for any signs, just like they do all mages" The First Enchanter tried to reason with him. "No action would have been taken unless they had absolute confirmation" The old mage sighed warily. "I know you're not a blood mage young man, if only you would have come to me we could have cleared up-"

"Don't pretend you care about me!" He shouted, tears of desperation welling in his eyes. "All you do is bow to the Templars' every whim!"

Seeing there was no way to speak to him, the First Enchanter instead turned his gaze to the other two mages with him. "And you two" Neria's gaze dropped in shame while Brianna met his defiantly. "I expected better of you. Brianna, you were always headstrong. But this? This is the height of folly... And Neria" He shook his head, "I am so disappointed in you"

He might as well have stabbed her in the heart with those words.

"Blood mage or not" Greagoir stepped forward, his tone carrying a sharp steel-like edge along with his fierce gaze. "Apprentice Jowan, you have broken the Circle of Magi's laws and will be punished accordingly. As for you" He casted his glare towards Lily who cowered, "You shall be properly disciplined" He lifted his hand and signaled his men to approach. "Seize them!"

"No!" Jowan cried out, desperation, fear and anger driving him. It was on these impulses that he acted. "I won't let you take her!"

He took out a knife from his robes. All eyes widened in shock and terror as he stabbed his own palm. Neria and Brianna's hearts dropped at the sight.

Magic swirled free in torrents, empowered by pain and passion, fueled by the very essence of his lifeforce.

His blood.

Jowan was a Blood Mage.

"Dispel! Dispel!" Greagoir's command came to let, none of the Templars reacted fast enough as Jowan casted a shockwave of raw power that rendered all the people in front of them unconscious, bodies hit the floor and wall, armors clanking violently as their figures fell one by one. Duncan and Gin were also hit with the blast of magic as they slammed onto the ground unconscious.

Hidden in the shadows, Serana cocked her head. As a Necromancer, blood magic was one of her skills and she was a master that could rival her mother. But by what she had just seen the Thedosian form of it was woefully underdeveloped and archaic at best. Either that or the lad was still a novice.

Jowan took heavy breathes as he saw all the Templars and First Enchanter down and unconscious. Behind him he did not see the shocked gazes of betrayal from the three women.

Neria's body and mind both felt numb, her legs weak as she soon fell to her knees. Brianna remained motionless with her moth slightly agape. Her anger vanished, replaced now with the feeling of shock and betrayed.

Tears rimmed Lily's eyes; "Blood Magic..." Jowan turned to face her; "You are a blood mage..." Her voice broken and full of anguish.

"I... dabbled" the man admitted weakly; "But I'll give it all up, for you."

Lily shook her head; "You lied..." Her voice a whisper as tears rolled from her cheeks. "A Blood Magic changes people Jowan, corrupts them, and turns them into monsters."

"I didn't mean to, but we can leave this place now!" The desperation in his voice rang as he soon saw Lily shake her head again. He tried getting closer to her, but she cowered away in fear.

"Don't get close to me!" Terror filled her every being, she was no longer looking at Jowan, and all she could see was a Blood Mage.

The male mage's heart shattered at her rejection. His eyes darted to Neria and Brianna who both looked frozen in time save the tears in their eyes. They all looked at him like he was a monster.

He understood now that he had no place among them anymore.

Jowan ran, and didn't look back.

It felt like a small eternity since he disappeared. It felt like a nightmare, one they couldn't wake up from.

"He lied..." Neria's tears grew in fervor as her body soon shook as she broke down. Her cries woke Brianna from her daze as she soon was beside her elven friend and embraced her. Lily had fallen to her knees as her tears matched the elven mage.

Not a moment later the Warden-Commander, Gin, the Templars and First Enchanter stirred.

"He was a Blood Mage..." The Knight-Commander muttered, anger and frustration managing to their way into his voice despite the sore state of his body, the sensation washing away as he stood up. "Maker curse it all he was a Blood Mage!" His glare snapped at the two mages who were with him, he walked up to them furiously. "And you two helped him destroy his phylactery!"

"He lied to us!" Brianna shouted, hurt by the betrayal, as she held Neria close.

"That doesn't matter; we now have a Blood Mage free in Ferelden! Do you two have any idea what you've done?!"

"Greagoir..." Irving tried to intervene.

"Do not even try to defend them Irving!" The leader of the Templars snapped. The two began arguing, Irving pleading for the commander to show clemency to the young women, while the commander called for them to be taken to The Aeonar immediately.

Walking past the Templars Gin merely shook his head as he knelt down and gazed at Neria in concern; "Are you okay?"

The elven mage sobbed, "He betrayed us, we... we did it all for him and he just... abandoned us"

Thrown them to the wolves to save his own skin. The rage Brianna felt could not be expressed in any tongue of men, to say her heart had been dealt a heavy blow wouldn't do it justice. Jowan was their friend, and he deceived them, he used them, and when things went south he discarded them just like that, without even an explanation or an apology...

And now they were at the mercy of the Templars. Brianna was no fool; she didn't lie to herself saying they still had a way out of this. This was the end of the line for them.

At least she'd face it with Neria; it was far more than she could say about Jowan...

"If I may intervene" The Warden-Commander Duncan spoke up, approaching the Knight-Commander and the First Enchanter. "I came here for recruits to the Wardens after all"

The eyes of everyone in the room widened in shock. But no one was more flabbergasted then Amell and Surana, Gin's head rapidly shifted between them and Duncan, a sigh of relief escaped his lips.

"No..." Irving shook his head angrily, understanding what was about to happen. "No, I won't allow it! These two-!"

Duncan spoke firmly and with finality, "I invoke the Right of Conscription"

Neria and Brianna only looked in shock along with the others. Greagoir however seethed; "As Warden-Commander you can only conscript one mage from a Circle."

"In normal times yes, but if a Commander is certain a Blight is imminent he has the authority to conscript more than one." Duncan said with steely finality. "Besides, that was always tradition, not a hard rule"

"You expect me to believe such rubbish," Greagoir growled as he stood directly in front of Duncan.

The two men only glared with neither yielding before Irving spoke up; "Once Duncan spoke the rite, our hands became tied Greagoir. Neria and Brianna are no longer in are charge."

"And we're supposed to ignore our laws and let them be rewarded!?" The knight-commander roared.

The first-Enchanter shook his head; "It is done." His tone was one of resignation. Greagoir only growled as he glared at Duncan before storming off with his men trailed behind.

Brianna stared at Duncan, her head slightly shaking, unable to comprehend what just happened. The toil of recent events were nearly enough to make her collapse on her feet. "You saved us. I... thank you"

"Do not thank me yet" The Warden spoke firmly, "I may have saved you from whatever punishment awaited you, but a Warden's life is not any safer"

"I'm willing to take my chances" The Amell sighed.

"Good" Duncan nodded, "Gather your things, we shall leave first ray of the morning" The Commander of the Grey took his leave without another word.

Gin and others watched him, the city elf sighed as he did so. "He can be like that, but he's a good guy"

Irving walked up to the young mages, his gaze mournful. "I am sorry it came to be like this" The elder mage said, "I cannot agree with the decisions that lead you here but... I can at least say I'm proud you two are such driven and talented mages"

His words felt empty to Brianna, just empty platitudes at this point. She cared not what Irving had to say, the Amell never considered him much of a proper leader for the Circle mages, always delegating with the Templars without achieving much results. But he was a kind man, and no better person could have taught Neria.

This was not what either of them would have chosen. Brianna wanted to get away from the Tower, she had entertained the fantasies of joining the Wardens but not like this; once more her life was in someone else's hands. Only her duties had changed.

Brianna casted a worried glace to her old friend, the elf looked dead to the world, her face set in a passive yet saddened look. Heavens knew what was going on through her head at the moment, no doubt her memories stuck on the moment when Jowan betrayed them. Once more Brianna cursed him, he had taken away Neria's future with his actions.

"Neria" Irving gently spoke, "Never forget you are a mage of this Circle, and you will always be"

To Brianna, that would have been an insult. To Neria, an honor.

But the elf seemed beyond caring at this point. "...Thank you for everything" She muttered to her mentor.

Everyone present felt their heart knotted hearing how broken Neria's voice sounded. Gin looked over to the Chantry initiate who slowly got to her feet. Lily's eyes looked as hollow as Neria as tears still remained.

"First Enchanter," Lily's voice a horse whisper; "Please tell Knight-Commander Greagoir I'll remain here until I am taken for trial, I should also be inspected for any sign of mind control" Brianna and Neria both were about to speak in protest but the young girl shook her head with a mournful smile; "Thank you both, but I accept my punishment for this crime committed."

And that was the end of it, no words they could offer would ever convince her. Lily was lost, she didn't know what to believe anymore. For all she knew perhaps even her feelings for Jowan had been the influence of his foul Blood Magic.

The events that followed were a blur, they couldn't even remember having gone to bed that night. Sleep did not come easy.

Morning soon came as Neria and Brianna both packed what they wanted to take with them. Surana, still numb by yesterday's events. Amell, everything was slowly sinking in for her. Neria and Brianna said her farewells to the few friends they had left in the circle. Amell kept her tongue as Irving and Neria shared a brief hug.

The doors of the Circle had opened as the morning sun rose. It was the first time they would cross those gates without a Templar watching over their shoulders. A new day had dawned for both of them. And they would see it through together...

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 **For those who wish to be in the know.**

 **Next:** Naruto: Shoton of Konoha 'Two chapters'

 **And back to** : Dragon age Origins: Dovahkiin 'Two Chapters'

A chapter of Anbu Sennin: a Final Fantasy VII story will be in between.

 **Have an awesome 2019 everyone!**


	7. Holy knight and children of the stone

_**Disclaimer** :_ We do not own Dragon Age Origins or Skyrim

 _ **Co-author and Beta**_ : Etheral-23

 **Holy knight and children of the stone**

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The breeze was gentle, caressing the waters of Lake Calenhad as Oryrn gazed out from the shoreline. His eyes took in every splendor of the natural world Lady Kyne had blessed Thedas with. From the beautiful lake to the mountain tops in the vast distance, Ferelden was a beautiful land if nothing else.

With his helmet off he could feel the wind as it flowed across his face and moved his hair. His skin had been turned into a light color, while his eyes shifted to blue under the influence of his magic, a simple disguise as not to draw too much attention. His journey through this foreign land had been relatively uneventful save a skirmish with poorly trained bandits. Seeing his armor and gear, they had sought to take it from him as they assumed, regardless of height and stature, that he was just a weakling 'knife-ear'.

They were sorely and fatally mistaken...

Afterwards his traveling had led him to his current location, Crestwood.

It was a pleasant looking town near the lake, built up with several huts. The village was lively with activity; he could spot a few people tending to tanning racks while others ploughed small fields where they grew their food. The sound of a hammer hitting an anvil was so familiar to him he could spot it very far away, the results of having grown up with his mother practicing her craft so often. He pondered if they had designs and schematics for sale, it would make for a nice gift to his mother. Whereas some women preferred flowers or sweets, Miara Redoran was a woman whose heart could be reached through the melting and shaping of steel.

He stepped into the village, ignoring the glances sent his way. The whispers about his height and race bothered him not; his focus was set on following the sounds of the local smithy.

A few children ran through the village, laughing without a care in the world. They stopped to stare at him in awe, eyeing his weapons and armors. A girl with a freckled face and pigtails skipped to his side, a woman who was knitting on a porch looked up with frightened eyes, "Sarah!" She called out. The woman was most likely her mother, clearly worried about her daughter approaching a stranger like that. If his race had anything to do with it he did not know.

"Your armor is so dark but so shiny too!" She said in childish wonder.

"It's the metal" He curtly answered, sparing her a simple glance.

"Can I see your sword?"

"It's on my waist, you're already seeing it"

"Can I hold it?"

"No"

"Sarah!" The girl winced as her mother came up quickly behind her and held her by the shoulders; "What have I said about talking to strangers!" She gave an apologetic look to him; "I'm sorry she troubled you Ser..." her voice trailed as she noticed his elven features. "...knight...?"

"It's no trouble ma'am." Oryrn responded casually as he kept his pace towards the blacksmith.

The reverberating sound of hammer on anvil rang loudly at a modest sized hut. Beside it a large forge burned brightly as a human man in his early thirties worked with dedication and skill with his hammer and hot metal. Close by were two large tables with an assortment of weapons and armor.

Oryrn stopped by the tables inspecting the gear. "Made all these myself." The smith said in a rough but honest tone without looking up from his work.

The elf picked up a longsword inspecting it. "Good hammer work, nice job on the fuller too."

Glancing from his work and looking back down the smith grunted; "I'm might not be as good a dwarven smith, but my works can speak for me."

He didn't brag, a sign of a good smith. And while it was not fair to compare his work to his mother who is a savant master, the man had skill. Putting the weapon down Oryrn turned to the blacksmith; "You have any weapon and armor schematics?"

At that the smith pause to direct a curious gaze at the armored elf; "You want schematics? You a smith too?"

"A bit, but my mother is a master at it and loves the craft with utter passion. She enjoys trying out anything new."

The blacksmith barked a loud laugh, "Wish my own ma' had been a smith. Wanted me to farm the land, but no sir" He shook his head as he took the red hot metal and cooled it on the water at his side, it hissed angrily and released a large amount of steam. "I ain't spending my time next to no stinking animals, wrecking my back kneeling over the dirt all day long" He took out the now cooled blade to inspect it. "Metal though, that's my vocation"

"Mhmm" Oryrn made a sound of vague interest, "So, do you have weapon designs to sell?"

The blacksmith hummed in thought. "Let me check, everything is up here" He tapped the side of his head, "But I ought to have some left" He went back into his house where he disappeared behind the door for a minute before returning with old papers in his hands. "Got my hands into a few of these last time some mercenaries passed by, they needed equipment so they gave me schematics to make it for them. One of them a pretty interesting design, dwarven craft even" He frowned as he sorted through the schematics, his eyes soon lit up. "Aha! Here it is" He laid the papers on the table for Oryrn to see. "Bownammar plate, pretty heavy, but a strong defense is well worth the weight."

"Hmm" Oryrn looked over the design with interest. "Heavy shoulder pads, full chest plate, gauntlets, greaves, ringed mail underneath... This armor is made for a front line warrior"

"Yup!" The smith also put down more papers; "Here is some weapons schematics. Mostly axes and swords."

Oryrn gazed at them with a critical eye at each paper. One-handed short-handled battle axes and swords. Design wise they were very different from back home. His mind was already made as he picked up two papers, one of an axe and the other a sword. "I'll buy these and the armor schematic."

"Alright! Those were collecting dust on my shelf for a while; I'd say... three hundred silver a fair price?"

Oryrn went to his leather pouch attached to his belt. "How about twenty gold pieces?"

The eyes of the smith nearly bulged from his sockets as he was handed a small cloth purse and looked inside. Sure enough there was twenty pieces of gold! "T-Thank you!"

He soon frowned as he noticed the symbol upon the coins themselves, "Wait... these ain't sovereigns. Not Orlesian coins either" He mused as he stared suspiciously at the elf in heavy armor. "What are you trying to pull here?"

"They're not from any land you know. But gold is gold is it not?" Oryrn shrugged, "If you fear others won't accept it, you can just melt them down yourself"

"I guess so... Bah! Why am I complaining when I have this much gold in my hands!" The blacksmith gave a toothy smile, "It's more than my family ever made in a year!"

"A pleasure doing business" The elf gave him a grateful nod as he pocked the schematic inside back his pouch.

Was it too much to give the smith that much gold? Perhaps. But neither Oryrn nor his family lacked for riches in any way, his mother as any true dragon loved to horde her treasures, but would part with some of it if she saw somebody who needed it more. Oryrn grew up with her example, and money meant little to him. It was risky to give the smith so much, greed often cause for rational people to become jealous and violent. It would paint a target on his back.

But that was not his responsibility. Oryrn trusted the man was smart enough to not go about flaunting his riches to the whole world.

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"It's called Caer Bronach?"

"Yes, it was erected during the war with the Orlesians by King Brandel."

"Hmm."

Oryrn gazed upon of what looked like a once now abandoned well-fortified keep. Like in Denerim he saw Caer Bronach had the familiar architecture like that of the royal castle. Beside him stood the Crestwood's mayor Gregory Dedrick, who encountered the tall armored elf while wondering through his village.

A conversation was sparked as Gregory explained the places around his village. In turn he learned of an unknown foreign land which visibly made him cautious given the events with Orlais. The young Templar explained Tamriel presently was keeping to itself which was a half-lie, but the mayor need not know.

Gregory sighed; "Caer for the most part has been abandoned save highwaymen or bandits who roll in. Normally we'd have soldiers on patrol take care of them but with the situation in the south…"

"Are there any highwaymen or bandits there now? Think that is a bit dangerous given the dam controls is close by."

"Not even the bandits are dumb enough to mess with that thing, that's a sure way to get the attention of the bann's forces" The mayor's face morphed in concern. "But I wish it was bandits, not too long ago we've heard roars coming from the fort; we fear some monster has made its nest there"

Oryrn made a humming noise as he frowned in thought, "Do you have any idea what might be there?"

"Some folks around her claim it sounds like the sound of wyvern, they usually keep to themselves in caves or closer to the lake, but it might be that one wandered off"

"Wyvern?" The elf asked, lacking in knowledge as to what creature the mayor was talking about.

"Some say it's kin to the dragons" Oryrn sincerely doubted that claim. He guessed it was exaggeration like the dragonlings of Tamriel, which were... another complicated case altogether. "Though it lacks wings and fire it makes up with its nimbleness and powerful venom. Only prepared knights ever go hunt for them"

The elf looked upon the fort once more; "It's too close to the town, if it finds a mate and breeds the situation will grow out of control" He turned to the mayor, "I'll hunt this beast for you"

"By yourself?" The human said incredulously, "My good sir, I beg you reconsider! The antidote for wyvern venom is not rare in its materials, but we have none prepared at the moment. And the beast's strength will be too much for just one man to handle"

"I have my ways of working around the venom issue" He calmly replied. "And for my own strength, well I have faith in my chances" He had faced powerful daedra by himself; he would not back down from a monster just because it was dangerous.

Facing an unknown without any information on its characteristics was foolhardy, but Oryrn carried with him potions that enhanced one's resistance to poison, along with spells to ward it off and cure him if need be. Plus, he could not lie and say the thought of facing a new challenge didn't intrigue him.

"...Are you truly certain you want to do this?" Seeing Oryrn nod Gregory rubbed his eyes; "I know I can't stop you but please be careful. These beasts are very crafty. Maker preserve you." The mayor felt a knot in his stomach as he watched the elven man put his helmet on and stride for Caer Bronach.

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Oryrn drew closer to the fort with his shield and sword at the ready. His senses were focused as he moved silently towards the large wooden doors. Ever observant he took notice of deep claw marks that showed to scale upwards. The Wyvern likely climbed its way inside and had decided to stay.

Nearing the doors he ever so gently opened on as silently as possible. Through his helmet he saw a stable and two large stone stairs on either side. The beast was quiet, likely sleeping, but as he was taught always expect anything in battle.

He did not have to search long.

The creature did not meet his standards for its supposed relation to the dragons. If he were honest, Oryrn thought it wouldn't be out of place somewhere like Black Marsh or perhaps Hammerfell. Its body was muscular and sinewy, this one possessed a greenish-brown coloration to its scales, if that was a common trait of the species or just this beast's own coloration he did not know. The head was stout and squarish with a split-mandible mouth and protruding fins. The wings connected to its front limbs did not look like it would enable it to fly, they were far too small, but rather it looked like the creature was meant for gliding rather than true flight.

It slumbered under the roof of the courtyard's stables; the entrance of the fortress was wide enough that maneuverability would not be an issue. The gears in his mind shifted quickly as he began his strategy.

Firstly, he casted a muffle spell for all sound made by his person to disappear entirely, not even his armor clanked as he moved. He stood ten feet away from the creature and silently casted a frost rune between him and the wyvern. He took out his shield and buried the sharp lower end to the ground so it would stand there, his stance shifted to that of a marksman, a bow of pure golden light manifesting in his arms as he did so. He knocked the ethereal arrow, drawing in a deep breath before releasing the shot.

The projectile impacted the side of the beast with a burst of light, awakening it with startling pain. It let out a shill cry, shaking its head as its eyes furiously scanned for the aggressor. The wyvern quickly caught the elven warrior on its gaze, it roared defiantly as Oryrn quickly dismissed the bow and took up his shield while drawing his long blade.

The beast began to run towards him, focusing its entire attention on the aggressor and missing the rune on the ground that shifted from a faint glow to a bright shine the moment it stepped close. The rune exploded with frost, shards of ice flying through the air as a freezing wave of pure cold coated its body. The beast staggered its movements sluggish and pained.

Oryrn seized his chance, keeping his shield up as he ran towards the wyvern, raising his sword to bring it down upon; it slashed the wyvern's neck, piercing through hard scale and into the flesh, unable to resist the bite of ebony.

Its body slumped forward onto the ground as its head lay close beside it. "I either caught it completely off guard or was just not fully grown." The elf muttered with a shrug; "either way dead now."

At any rate he should tell the mayor the place is clear and the area should be safer now.

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Gregory almost fell out of his chair at his table when Oryrn had returned and came knocking at his open door, alive and having slain the Wyvern! The mayor expressed both utter relief and gratitude and offered to pay the elf but graciously said he would rather have some preserved and dried meat for his journey

Saying his farewell to the mayor the elven warrior made his way out of the village and back onto the road, but not before an older woman had come to his side, saying she was in need of a courier to deliver a letter to a family in Honnleath, which was way further south. Unable to say no to the elderly, Oryrn took the letter and promised to deliver it.

He glanced over towards Caer Bronach as he passed it, well he could say that wyvern was no true dragon. Having grown up around Odahviing, Durnehviir, and other dragons loyal to his mother like his sisters know full well when a true dovah's roars it shakes the very ground beneath it. It was simple impossible for the creature to be kin to the might dov, distantly or not.

With the fort behind him he entered the farmer's side of Crestwood. Lush fields swayed in the wind as large horned beasts of similar to bison's grazed passively throughout the fields. What were they called... ah yes druffalo the mayor called them.

"Come back here you filthy knife-ear mage!" a man's voice yelled in the distance.

A frightened feminine voice screamed back; "Get away from me!"

His instincts flared in response at the sound of terror, he sprang into action, running swiftly towards the source of the commotion. The tall grass did not impede his movement even as these got in his way, he carved a path through the fields at speed few mortals were capable of achieving, much less in such heavy armor.

Oryrn could hear the sounds of magic being casted, and there he saw it, on the fields a battle was taking place. A very one-sided one.

An elven mage, a woman with long fair blonde hair that cascaded down her back and clear blue eyes. Her beautiful face displaying fear and anxiety, adrenaline clearly pumping throughout her veins, she was on the verge of panic as her eyes quickly shifted between her pursuers. Her robes were stained with dirt and mud; she clung to her staff with trembling hands.

The men who perused here wore heavy plates with long skirts, carved on their chests and shields was the symbol of a sword. Their helmeted faces concealed most of their features, except for the thin slit that revealed their eyes. Oryrn's experienced eyes noticed how they held their shields before them, their swords poised to strike as they slowly circled the woman that was as stance used to hide behind the shield at a moment's notice as to protect themselves from splash attacks or spells.

These were the Templars of Thedas, the mage hunters of the Thedosian Chantry, and the woman they were surrounding was most likely a mage.

His suspicions were proven right when the woman in act of desperation blasted a bolt of pure arcane energy at one of the Templars. Said Templar hid behind his shield as the energy dissipated the moment it clashed against it; their gear was designed to withstand spells of such level.

"This is your last chance!" One of the Templars shouted with authority. "Surrender now and return to the Circle! Continue fighting and your life is forfeit!"

"My life was already forfeit the moment you took me to the Circle in the first place!" The woman shouted in defiance, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She was desperate, and saw no way out. "I won't go back; I'll never go back to that prison!"

The Templar gripped his sword tightly, "Then you leave us no choice!" His group slowly advanced upon her.

The mage prepared herself for the inevitable; if she was going down then she would at least take them with her.

It was at that moment that Oryrn arrived at the scene, catching the mage and templars completely off-guard. The sight of a tall warrior in full plate armor, one whose superior quality was evident just by looking at it with a red thick skirt with from the waist down much like their own. It took them all quite by surprise to them, as they had not expected any interloper to arrive out of nowhere.

"What's going on here?" Oryrn demanded to know, his voice strong. "Why are you cornering this woman?"

"Ugh!" The lead Templar made a sound of annoyance as he stared at him, "Templar business civilian. That woman!" He pointed his blade at the blonde elven mage. "Is a runaway mage from the Circle, we have orders to detain her, so step aside!"

"You threatened her life" Oryrn remarked, as he stood in front of the mage, who stared at him in disbelief that someone seemed to actually be defending her.

"She attacked us, which goes to show how far she'll go. If she does not surrender then she must be put down" The way he spoke made it seem like he did not think of her as a person. "Before she turns to demons and blood magic in order to get what she wants"

"You attacked me first!" The woman cried out, "I just want to be left alone, but you already think I sold my soul to a demon!"

"Just shut your mouth, mage!" The Templar snarled. "And you, stranger, if you know what's good for you, you'll step aside and let us carry out our duty! She's a danger to everyone!"

Oryrn's helmeted head turned to the woman, who was on the verge of tears, the fear in her eyes, the desperation in her voice as she began to sob. For all the power a mage wielded, this woman looked so frail... but the Templars only saw a mage, a threat to be contained or put down if necessary.

Oryrn had tried to stay away from the Chantry and its politics, knowing no good would come if he got involved. Evading them as much as possible, hiding his magic... but he could not ignore someone in need, no matter how much he tried.

"She doesn't look dangerous to me" He spoke earnestly, earning a shocked look from the mage.

"Either you are a fool, or she's bewitched you already" The lead Templar shook his head, "So be it, Maker spare your soul, for we must carry out our duty"

"They'll kill you," The elven woman sobbed as she gripped her staff close; "Please whoever you are save yourself!" desperation rang in her voice as she did not want this noble man to die along with her.

Oryrn was quiet for only a moment as he drew his sword and held up his shield; "And how could I call myself a knight if I turned away from someone in need." His voice spoke with steely resolution as he took stance; "Stay close to me."

The elven mage only looked in utter disbelief with tears streaming from her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Take them down!" The lead Templar ordered as his men charged forward.

One Thedosian Templar raised his sword with shield at his side went for Oryrn first. The elven warrior steeled himself, raising his shield as the blade was brought down upon him. It bounced off with a cry from the Templar, the strength of his stance and the sheer toughness of the ebony shield unable to even budge him. The Templar staggered, and Oryrn charged, using a tactic favored by his mother, the shield bashed right against the Templar's helmet, the impact stunned him as the metal in his helmet created a painful ring. He fell down to the ground unceremoniously with a thud.

The helmeted face of the ebony knight turned to the other Templars who stared at him stunned, one was brave enough to attack, swinging his sword in the air before striking. Oryrn was faster and deflected the blade with his own, before trying the same shield bash tactic again. The Templar anticipated this so brought up his shield, but Oryrn's strength was far superiors than his, managing to push the Templar back. Oryrn dropped his blade and with his free hand grabbed the Templar's sword arm, twisting it at a painful angle as much as the armor would allow. The Templar let out a cry of pain, losing his footing and allowing the ebony knight to kick his legs and drive him to the ground, where he knelt to deliver a powerful punch to the Templar's protected head.

Another Templar shouted, charging towards him. The black helmet snapped back up, and the warrior took out his shield from his hand, throwing it with far superior strength than a normal person should possess, it flew through the air swiftly, impacting the Templar right on his helmet, throwing him to the ground.

Two out of the remaining four Templars attacked at once, Oryrn rolled away with far greater mobility armor like his should allow, but his gear was enchanted to be rather flexible and light, so such things were possible for someone of his strength. He picked up his blade as he stood up, holding the end of the sword with the palm of his gauntlet, raising it just in time to deflect two sword strikes at once.

Like the wind the Dunmer parried as the other two Templars came to strike and he dodged. One leaving himself open Oryrn kicked the man in the chest, denting his armor and sent him flying back before hitting the ground with great force.

If Oryrn had one thing to say was that these men were well trained in combat, he could respect their abilities even if he did not approve of their motivations. He sidestepped a thrust from the lead Templar while also avoided his shield with attempt to bash him. This man was the most experienced among this lot. He fought with precision and fluid movements.

Close by the elven mage watched in utter shock as her surprise protector was fighting seven Templars and knocked out four in a matter of minutes!

He moved like a man possessed, speed and strength that the Templars just couldn't hope to match. All their training and experience to fight against mages and demons could not help them match this warrior whose sheer skill put even the most senior members of their order to shame. Not a single hit had been landed on him, almost like the Maker himself had deemed this man the victor long before he even decided to face them.

Oryrn grabbed the Templar's sword arm and delivered a painful elbow strike to his shoulder, dislocating it, the Templar could only wail in pain as he dropped his sword before being kicked away by the ebony warrior. He turned to face the last two remaining Templars who shook in their boots; blades trembled as their armor clanked repeatedly from their shivering forms.

He slowly took a step forward, then another; ever so quietly he calmly approached them.

One of the Templars took a step back, tripping over a rock and falling to the ground with a yelp, even still he crawled over the ground with his back to it, trying to avoid the wrath of this walking engine of battle. The last knight standing didn't even pay attention to his fellow Templar's act of cowardice, he stared as ebony warrior approached him, feeling his own body seized as though trapped by a paralysis spell from a mage.

The warrior towered over him by half a head, looking down at him beneath that dark, featureless helmet, not even his eyes could be seen. But the Templar felt them, oh Maker did he feel them staring back into his very soul. All he could do was struggle to hold his trembling blade up.

The warrior sheathed his own sword and proceeded to grab the Templar's blade, yanking it away from his hands. The Templar barely resisted. And then broke the sword in pieces by striking it upon his knees, as though the specially designed metal meant nothing to neither his own strength nor his impressive armor.

Oryrn threw the pieces away and turned his back to him, "You are beaten, take your leave and pursue her no longer. I do not want to kill you, but if you prove yourself stubborn enough then you will leave me no choice"

"You… This is not the end of it!" One of the Templars swore as he and his comrades backed away, they knew they were outmatched and couldn't hope to best him. So they retreated to lick their wounds.

The elven woman stood stock still as her savior came in front of her. Her tears did not stop as she gazed up at the man; "Come with me." She complied with no word with a brief glance back to the Templars

Oryrn glanced at his surroundings, trying to find a good place to hide the elven mage. He had no idea how Crestwood would react, and he would rather no spoil any good will he garnered there. And the woman being an escaped mage would likely cause a few to panic or outright become violent. So going back to the village was out, which left one place.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

The dunmer gripped the handle of one the large wooden doors of Caer Bronach and opened it. "We can rest here for the night. What's your name?"

The escaped mage only gazed in awe at the massive fort she was brought too before she heard her savior's voice, "I'm sorry?"

"Your name?"

"Adalora...A-and you?"

"Oryrn Redoran."

She followed the armored man through the threshold before a gasp came from her at the sight of the behead Wyvern. "Hmm, forgot that was there"

How can anyone just 'forget' about a dead wyvern?!

"My apologies, I didn't think I'd be coming back here, much less with company" He closed the door and placed his armored palm upon it. "Excuse me for a second"

The blonde mage stared curiously at him, wondering why he was just leaning against the door like that. The answer made her eyes widen and her jaw drop. From around his hand formed a magical circle filled with arcane lettering she did not recognize, she could feel the energy coming from it... from him.

"There" He said satisfied. "The alarm rune will alert me if anyone enters, that way if the Templars return they won't caught us unaware" He acted so nonchalantly too...

"Y-You" Adalora muttered in disbelief, "You're a mage too..."

"Not exactly" He replied with a shrug.

"Not exac-" She sputtered, "You just did magic! What are you if you're not a mage?"

"I'm actually a Templar"

The elven woman looked like her head had been struck by lightning, she stared owlishly at him. "...What?"

"Oh right" He seemed to ponder for a moment; it was hard to tell with his face hiding behind his helmet. "Perhaps... it'd be best if I show you" He placed his hands at both sides of his helmet, and slowly pulled it out.

Her breath hitched as Adalora saw her savior's face. His features were unmistakably elven with long raven colored hair in a ponytail. But he also had a beard, which not much elves have. And his skin was... grey. His eyes looked like rubies as he gazed at her. "I feel it's best to show you what I really look like."

The Thedosian mage only looked in shock; "W-What are you..."

"A dunmer or Dark-Elf." Adalora ears perked up at that. "And regarding where I'm from, well, I'll set a fire going for the night because this will be a long story."

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Night settled as Oryrn had inspected the fort and found a good size room with a fireplace. After breaking several wooden chairs he got a fire going with magic. Adalora had been staring for a while at the fire as she ate some jerky Oryrn gave her along with some water.

Beside her Oryrn quietly ate while letting the young woman process what she had just learned. Understandably it was a lot to take in upon learning of his distant homeland Tamriel, but more so of its diverse people, religions, and magics.

"...Never in my wildest dreams I would have imagined there was a place like that out there" She finally spoke after a while, her voice distant as several emotions shifted through her eyes. Disbelief, fascination, elation, awe, longing. "The way you say it, it just... makes sense. That is how everything is supposed to be" She breathed out heavily, "Magic, everywhere, it just... is"

Oryrn said nothing as she spoke, contemplating her words silently as he ate.

"That's how it's meant to be isn't it? It's Thedas that's wrong" She said, her voice gaining an edge. Anger briefly flashing before her eyes, "What other explanation could there be for this place to be so broken?" To be ripped away from the arms of your family, to be imprisoned for all your life and be told you're proof of the Maker's hatred. If she lived in Tamriel she could actually dictate her own life, be someone and...

"I believe you're idealizing my homeland too much" Oryrn finally spoke after swallowing down his food, feeling that was a dangerous line of thought she was having. "Not an era goes by without something happening that threatens many people. And that is not even going into the daily dangers. Tamriel is a wild untamed place; the empire may bring stability at a larger scale but doesn't erase every other problem"

"I know..." Adalora's voice was quiet; "But, since being taken away from my Alienage in Gwaren all I ever heard was the Chantry condemning us just for being mages..." Her voice slowly rose in anger; "The Templars always watching us. I could feel their judgement and hate through their helmets. True not all of them were bad, but the rest were no saints..."

Oryrn said nothing as he let her vent her anger. "I know a girl who is so broken by what the Chantry preached she might as well be Tranquil!" Tears rimed her eyes. "Children who were my age brought to that hellhole crying and screaming for their parents." She lowered her head rubbing her eyes as her body shook.

The dunmer's red gaze shifted momentarily before looking at the elven woman once more, "Do you have anywhere to go to?"

"No" Her voice broke, "I don't have any family or anyone that would take me. I'm an Apostate now, my life will be on the run" She buried her head in her hands with a wary sigh, "What was I thinking, listening to Anders? He ditched me first chance he had to save himself..."

"You wanted to be free. Nobody can blame you for that"

"Well, the Templars certainly can" She replied humorlessly. "I... I have no idea what to do now. I did not think any of this through" She sounded on the verge of panic, like she was cornered by the Templars once again.

"I think you don't give yourself enough credit" Oryrn refuted, "Not many would be brave enough to do what you did. You think you ran away without a thought, I think you had the courage to finally say enough and take the reins of your own life"

Adalora looked at him as he kept talking; "Yes it's scary. But every first step always is. And you chose to fight instead of cower when those Templars came for you. Even if the situation was hopeless, you took a stand and said no more. That makes you brave."

The fire's light masked the flush of her cheeks as she stared at her fellow elf. "Thank you." she lowered her head taking another bite of her jerky.

"You're welcome. We'll figure out what to do tomorrow." The elven mage's head shot up as he looked through the window; "It's getting late. Let's rest for night."

"O-Okay..." Was he really going to stay with her? He would risk that? He had already done more than enough by saving her from those Templars, but he would stick with her even now... For a moment her heart raced.

"Luckily this room has some beds. Probably was a barracks for some of the men." Oryrn got to his feet walking over to one mattress. Despite the dust they looked alright, and were better than sleeping on the hard floor.

Adalora watched him as he eyes grew in size as he began to take off his armor.

The blonde elf despite having what could be called a sheltered life was not prudish or naive in any way, she had had serious conversations about intimacy and relationships with her mentor (both of which were forbidden by the Chantry of course...). And while it was true that some mages simply didn't understand how the outside world worked, it was also truth that the majority of mages weren't some group of maladjusted misfits who didn't know how social interactions worked. Indeed, many of them did understand how economics, politics, and various social costumes worked. Even if some of them did not partake in such activities.

Adalora had also made a point of studying and observing anatomy, it was necessary for her studies. Not to mention so many people living together in the same space did not leave much room for privacy. Plus the not too uncommon prank on apprentices where their robes would suddenly go 'missing'. She even heard of a Templar who once showed up in nothing but his small clothes, sadly she had not been present to witness it.

In short, Adalora did not feel she had anything to be embarrassed of when it came to a person's body... until she saw the body Oryrn Redoran had.

Elves in general were short and lithe, there were exceptions as in all races and much variation between their builds, but that was how their race looked like for the most part.

Not Oryrn though.

As he removed the chest armor around his arms and chest plate, Adalora was treated more and more to the sight of a powerfully built body that most definitely did not belong to an elf. His back was broad and strong; his arms rippled and bulged with muscle as he moved them. Adalora felt her breath caught in her throat as he took off his shirt and revealed the eight different muscles that adorned his stomach, along with chest so thick and defined that looked carved from solid marble. Her fingers twitched, as though itching to run her hands over him and test if they were as hard as she imagined.

Oryrn was unaware of what the current embarrassment and turmoil Adalora was going through, he merely stripped off the boots and leg armor, leaving only his pants on. "There's one mattress there for you" he said as he accommodated the other mattress and cleaned if off dust. He rolled his neck, popping his joints and stretching as he knelt down to lie on his own makeshift bed. "We'll figure out what to do in the morning. Sleep well" With that, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

Slowly standing back to her feet, her blue eyes gaze at Oryrn's resting form. She took in every detail on his upper body as his chest moved up and down. She shook her head and made her way to the bed he had dusted off for her. She sighed as she took a seat on it.

Her mind raced as the events after escaping Kinloch Hold whirled in her head. Staring back at the fireplace she scowled at the memory of Anders. Half of her just could not believe she was convinced by that lying bastard who swore he stay with her after escaping. Not even a yard away from that damn Spoiled Princess Inn and he ran off!

Adalora shook her head; she needed to stop thinking about that horse's ass. Her mind wandered back to the time the Templars had found her and begun to chase her near Crestwood. Slowly her eyes shifted back to the sleeping dunmer. Again she felt her heartbeat quicken. Never had she ever met someone so selfless and willingly defended a total stranger who he had no reason to anything but to walk away.

But he didn't... He drew his sword and defender her against seven Templars like the old tales of the hero from those stories she read. Well he didn't ride on a stallion in shining armor, but what he wore was beautiful.

If not for his generosity and chivalrous valor, Adalora would have thought those tales to be just that, stories. But here was a fascinating man from a wonderful far away land. She still could not get over how he had went out of his way to protect her... nobody had ever done something like that for her.

If this were a fairy tail she would now be rewarding the shining knight with a kiss, lying with him in a night of fiery passion. She shook her head; those were ridiculous thoughts... or were they?

She could not deny she was fascinated by him, Oryrn's kindness towards her and selfless actions had endeared him to her greatly. It would not be wrong to show her gratitude.

Her cheeks flushed hotly at the thought of what she was about to do, but she steeled herself, taking in a deep breath. First, stood up and loosened her robes...

"Oryrn"

His eyes opened as his companion called out for him, she was standing in front of him with an odd expression on her face. He prompted himself up, resting on his elbows. "What's wrong?" He asked, somewhat drowsy as sleep had nearly claimed.

Adalora was looking at him with a hazy gaze, her cheeks were flushed and her breathing heavy. He was about to ask if she felt okay... when her robes suddenly hit the floor, and she was naked in front of him.

His eyes widened and his lips parted momentarily, the sudden action having taken him completely off guard. Adalora was a beautiful woman, her lithe body was possessed a curvy frame, her bosom was perfectly shape and proportioned, she way her blonde locks cascaded down her bare shoulders and her skin glistened with the flickers of the fire, everything about her was alluring. He barely had time to react as she knelt down on top of him, straddling his waist; her soft hands ran over his bare chest, sending shivers down his spine.

Adalora let out a shuddering breath, marveling at the hardness of his muscles, it was all she imagined and more. Her hands finally settled on his strong shoulders, she inched her face closer to his until their lips finally touched.

The kiss was slow, tender. Oryrn's mind could only slowly catch up with what was happening; the sensations of her naked body against him flooded his body with heat as her breasts pressed against his chest. His arms slowly began to hold her, feeling her, pressing her tighter against his. The tempo of their kiss increased, lips clashing with greater intensity as waves of pleasure began washing over their bodies. Adalora let out moan in between kisses; the sound was musical to his ear. He could feel the heat and wetness coming from her core as his own hardening arousal tightening against his pants came into contact with her.

Her arms encircled his back and held on to him tightly; she gasped when his lips left hers and began descending down her neck. "Oh Oryrn..."

He was no stranger to the affections of women, it had happened in the past when after a long quest a fair maiden had laid with him, he had never taken advantage of them, and had reciprocated only if he felt they were acting out of their own desires, and not because they felt they owned him something.

...Like Adalora must be feeling right now.

He let out shallow gasp as he suddenly stopped, much to her confusion and dismay. "Wait..."

"What's wrong?" She asked, a look of fear drawing on her face. "D-Did I do something wrong? I-I'll admit, this is all rather... new to me"

The Dunmer shook his head with a warm understanding smile, resting his hands on her shoulders; "You haven't done anything wrong. But given what you've gone through, escaping the Circle and fleeing the Templars, right now you haven't fully come to terms with everything."

"Am I... not to your liking?" Her voice a whisper. She froze for a moment as one of his large hands touched her cheek. It felt so warm as she leaned into his palm.

"Far from it, you're one of the most beautiful woman I've ever met." A blush rose on her cheeks by his words that were sincere and honest. "But it would be wrong to bed you while your mind had not come to terms with it all."

He... even now was concerned about her that much?

"You're running high on too many emotions after a very impactful ordeal, you're not in a good place at the moment" He said in concern, "You're letting your impulses guide you, and I feel like I'm taking advantage of that"

She pursed her lip as she avoided his gaze, "What if I truly want you lay with you?"

"Then I'd tell you to wait until your mind is clear" He gently took hold of her chin so she could look at him, she looked so ashamed and embarrassed. "A night with you would be something memorable"

"...You're not making it easy on me" She groaned on a throaty voice. Seriously, he was chivalrous, kind, gentle, brave, and strong. Just so much worried for her wellbeing like no one ever had been before. It was making her want him all the more.

But... maybe he had a point. Maybe she wasn't thinking straight.

Maker she had never done this and she was ready to throw herself at him. She had sworn to live to the fullest when leaving the Circle, but this was still something that would be a touch out of character for her...

"Thank you..."

Oryrn smiled as he leaned in, taking her lips in a soft kiss. Adalora allowed herself to feel comforted by the tender gesture. Part of her wanted to continue, to wrap her arms around him again and-

She quickly pulled way, "I... I should probably stop before I get more ideas"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

Dawn's light came which stirred Adalora as the sun warmth has shone through a window. The young elven woman groaned as she sat up from her bed. Her nose twitched as she smelled the cooking of food. Opening her eyes she saw Oryrn, back in his armor sans the helmet using the fireplace preparing a small breakfast for them.

"Good morning." She mumbled sleepily rubbing her eyes.

"Morning, hope you like fish." Oryrn glanced at her with a grin. Hopefully she could put the events of the night before behind her.

Oryrn chuckled at how hungry she looked. Fully dressed, the Thedosian mage sat beside him as they started eating. "Not sure where to go from here," She spoke quietly after swallowing down part of her meal.

"You can come with me if you want."

Adalora's head shot up with shock; "Y-you wouldn't mind? They will send more Templars after me; I'd be putting you in danger."

A chuckle came from the Dunmer; "I put myself in danger a lot facing all kinds of things back home. Plus it will be safer for you with me."

A blush dusted her cheeks gazing downward to her food to avoid his gaze. "But for now we figure out where to go from her-" He stopped as his ring on his right hand began to glow.

Adalora stared with wide eyes as Oryrn actually began to engage in a communication with his family (a rather odd family. But what did she know?) "You can communicate through rings?!" The ring in his finger actually enchanted to transmit his voice to other bearers linked to it.

She had heard about similar artifacts in the Tevinter Imperium, Sending Crystals they called it, but to see an item like this fascinating. Tamriel's advancements in magic were something she felt plenty of fascination for.

It was then that Adalora realized Oryrn was looking at her, the other members of his family were likely aware of his presence right now.

Oryrn's mother spoke, " _And you are sweetie?_ "

"Uh...Sorry" She quickly apologized for having interjected into the conversation like that. "Adalora ma'am. Your son saved my life." The events of yesterday came flooding back to her mind, along with the worry and fear. "What the hell was I thinking, listening to Anders of all people? 'The Templars won't even realize until it's too late' my ass! First chance he had he got rid of me, the jerk! They nearly caught me and were gonna put me back in the tower but I couldn't take it anymore, but now I have to spend my life on the run and-!"

"Breath Adalora, breath" Oryrn calmly assured her. "You'll be fine"

"Yeah... Yeah, okay. I'm okay" She said as she slowly took calming breaths.

" _Hmm_ " Sarya made a curious sound. " _How did the Templars find you?_ "

"O-Oh" The Thedosian elf stammered. "They have a magical artifact called a phylactery. It's a-"

" _Reliquary containing the blood of a mage, am I right_?" Sarya quickly deduced much to the other elf's surprise. " _Yes, we are familiar with the concept of phylacteries back in Tamriel, but we don't really use them for tracking_ "

"I-I see. Anyway, yes they still have my phylactery. So long as they have it they can track me. It glows when in proximity of the mage whose blood is in the reliquary"

" _A-ha_ " The youngest daughter made a sound of understanding. " _Would you like to travel beyond their reach, to a land far away?_ "

That made Adalora pause. Wait... what?

" _Sarya..._ " Miara said in a warning tone. " _I feel sympathy for these mages too, but DON'T do anything rash_ "

" _Mother, the College of Winterhold, a number of mage guilds, and the academy in Cyrodiil. She will be safer there than anywhere here that's for damn sure!_ "Sarya said with absolute conviction.

College of Winterhold? Did she mean an actual magical institution from Tamriel? Adalora could feel her heart racing at the thought. Was the Oryrn's sister honest in her claims?

" _Very well_ " Their mother said resigned.

"Y-you'd let me go to your lands?" the Thedosian elf sounded near desperately hopeful, Adalora could feel the tears gathering in her eyes. The hope swelling her chest so much it hurt.. "But what about Templars?"

"Adalora I told you, Templars in Tamriel are holy knights of the Nine Divines. Myself included as I explained." Oryrn said in a calm understanding tone.

"S-sorry... It's just being in the circle for so long, and being around the Templars I know of... It's a bit scary." Oryrn was NOTHING like them, Adalora refused to believe they hunted mages like her in his continent.

" _Adalora I promise Tamriel will be safe for you_ " Oryrn's mother promised her. " _Send her to the college of Winterhold. We have quite a few friends there and they will help you, understood_?"

Serana, the woman Adalora was not quite sure how she was related to the family, sighed; " _It will be weird at first given all the vast races of our lands. But the college will help you._ "

" _So, what do you say girl?_ " Miara asked.

"I..." She paused for a moment before sighing. "I don't have any family here, nothing that really ties me down to Thedas... Yes, I want to start over, I want to go somewhere else"

" _Okie dokie!_ " Sarya excitedly said. " _Hey Merrill! I'm heading off for a bit, can you tell the others I'll be back soon_?" She called to someone.

They heard a somewhat distant and muffled accented voice, yet could still make out the words and pick up the disappointment in them. " _Awww, but you were going to teach me how to play Legends_ "

" _I'll do it when I get back, don't you worry" She then once more spoke directly to the rink. "Hang on, I'll be right over_ " They heard the familiar hum of magic on her end.

That made Adalora blink in confusion, "Wait, what did she mean by-HOLY CRAP!"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Adalora had giving him parting hug along with the most heartfelt gratitude she could muster, saying she'd hope to see him again one day, to which Oryrn said he would too.

Once Sarya had returned after taking Adalora to the College she had not stopped snickering once they had stopped speaking with their mother, Serana, and older sister and not gone back to the Dalish yet. Her twin brother rose a brow at her; "Something funny?"

"Nope, just didn't miss seeing the longing in your lady friend's eyes before taking her away from here. You left an impression. Should mom be expecting a grandchild anytime soon~?" She giggled at the sight of his dry glare.

Oryrn rolled his eyes; "Nothing happened, she had not fully processed what she went through."

"Ahhhh brother, ever the knight in shining armor"

"I just have a sense of responsibility, something you ought to learn by now"

"Hey, I'm plenty responsible" Sarya puts her arms akimbo as she stared defiantly at her brother, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to the dalish again to teach this adorably naive elf tons of magic and how to play Legends. Ta-ta!" With that, she disappeared in a blaze of arcane light.

Oryrn just stared at where his sister used to be, gods above she was the only person in the world who managed to test his patience. Well, he supposed she wouldn't be his sister if she couldn't. "I swear, there were aftershocks to Aunt Rathuni giving her moonsugar as a kid"

* * *

 **XxX ~ several days later ~ XxX**

* * *

As Oryrn traveled through south, leaving Crestwood and venturing towards the Hinterlands and Redcliffe, his thoughts drifted to Adalora. He hoped her new life on the College would be kinder to her than what the Circle had been. There were still old friends of his mother there, so at least he knew she was in good hands. His lips twitched upwards when he imagined her reacting toward the myriad of races Tamriel had to offer.

Now, on to the present. He had not really thought too far ahead on his next course of action. Exploring Ferelden was a very long process, but little by little he gained more insight and knowledge regarding how these lands worked, what kind of people lived here and such. Perhaps he would go to Redcliffe next, the capital of the region and seat of the arl was bound to be a place where he could see for himself more of Ferelden and learn of its history.

But Fate often throws one's plans on a curve.

As he strolled through the dirt road his eyes took notice of two figures sitting on stumps. Dwarves... He found it odd the term was for these small humanoid beings instead of elves who lived underground. Still he shrugged it off before taking noticed that one dwarf was a man in rough leathers with a fairly common if squared face with a defined jawline, short sandy blond hair and stubby chin. On his cheek was a strange tattoo.

Beside him was a dwarven woman also in hard leathers whose features were far from common, possessing a strong air of nobility. Fair flawless skin with full red lips, light brunette hair up in a bun with bangs framing her oval face. What got his attention were her sapphire colored eyes, the feeling of loss etched in her gaze. As was her expression and body posture.

His steps slowed before stopping in front of the two as they looked up at him. The man's brown eye danced with humor; "Good day Ser knight!" His tone jovial and pleasant.

"Good day," Oryrn replied as he looked through his helmet at the woman; "Are you both alright?"

As he looked at them better he noticed their condition was not exactly the best. There were old bruises across the visible parts of their bodies, the bags under their eyes showed the exhaustion in them. Even their gear looked like it required some serious maintenance, he could see pieces of the armor being weathered and torn in some areas. He suspected they haven't had a good meal in a while.

"Of course" The woman said in a strong voice, "Just... passing through, we're on our way to Honnleath" He could she was trying to put on a strong face.

"I see" He replied, "Forgive me for saying so, but you two don't look so good"

"Ehh, just a couple of rough patches along the way" The tattooed dwarf tried to pass it off. "Nothing to worry"

"Hmm... Perhaps you'd like to partake in some food with me"

The male dwarf's eyes widened slight as his mouth watered, "Well... it'd be rude to say no to the kindness of strangers"

The woman did not look too please and nudged him in the side, "Faren!" She hissed, "We don't take charity"

"You. You don't take charity, I'd actually like to eat something that isn't some wild berry"

It was then, as if out of defiance the woman's stomach let out a loud bestial growl that could be mistaken for a bear. Faren chuckled; "Your belly agrees with me your highness." That earned him a dark glare from the dwarven woman which made him wince; "Sorry..."

Oryrn gazed at the woman who glared at her companion before a sigh escaped her lips; "We are fine Ser knight." Her apparent stubbornness was being rivaled by her obvious hunger as her stomach growled even louder.

Faren rolled his eyes; "Fine my sodding Stone." he grumbled now ignoring the renewed glare from the woman. "We're lost and we need help, Sereda, since neither one of us have ever been outside of Orzammar. Never mind even with that map that merchant gave us means little since have no idea which way is which."

Oryrn tilted his head; "Reason would dictate you both need help. And an act of kindness does not mean doing it out of pity, but doing the right thing."

A frown marred Sereda's face as she gazed at the ground. "You'll forgive me if I don't take a stranger's words at face value" She could not keep the bitterness from her voice, there was pain there. Very fresh and personal.

The Templar merely gave his offer once more, pulling a loaf of bread from his belongings. "It is no concern, please, take it"

No sooner than he said it, Faren, the stubble dwarf, grabbed the bread with blinding speed and began devouring it like a wild animal. Sereda eyed the food with longing, try as she might she couldn't hide the longing in her face, she liked her lips dryly as if she could taste it...

She shook her head, forcing herself to remain strong, as though her pride was more important. But then the black armored warrior offered her another loaf, she looked up to the concealed face of the knight, with shaky hands she reached out and grabbed the bread. The first bite was heavenly, the second one even more so.

Soon after, the three were sitting on the side of the road, Oryrn watched as the two ate and drank like ferocious animals. By the Aedra and Daedra were these two hungry...

"So..." Faren said with a mouth full before washing it down with a water skin Oryrn gave him. "Not gonna take off your helmet, you ugly or something?"

"Faren!" Sereda chided him.

A chuckle came from the Templar as he took off his helmet. Both dwarves blinked as they saw the face of a raven haired bearded elven man with blues eyes staring at them with mirth.

"Thought elves... were supposed to be short and thin," Faren spoke in a stupor. Sereda absently nodded as what she was told about elves.

"I'm not from around here." By the looks from his current company they wanted to hear more; "I'm from a foreign land called Tamriel."

"And you're talking to a pair of dwarves who are not exactly worldly informed." Sereda retorted taking a bite from her bread. "We spent our lives in Orzammar under the earth. Dwarves don't pay much attention to the dealings of what happens above ground."

"Though we do now since we're up here," Faren said cheerfully; "Still wondering if we'll fall into the sky."

Oryrn lifted a at the words; "You can't fall to the sky... unless some magic is involved"

"Oh, good" Sereda let out a big sigh of relief. "Luckily we dwarves are resistant to magic"

"Really?" Oryrn quirked an eyebrow, his tone rather dry. "You mean to tell me nothing would happen if a mage were to hurl a fireball at you, or lightning? Maybe even throw a chunk of earth at you even"

"Alright, alright. Not fully resistant to magic" She rolled her eyes. "It's just that weird mind tricks I hear some of them surface mages do. I wouldn't know what those magic slings can do, pretty much the only mages we ever meet are Wardens who come down to the Deep Roads"

"Hmph" Oryrn made a thinking noise before moving on, "So, what are you looking for in that Honnleath town?"

"Oh we got a very awesome thing from a merchant" Faren said excitedly, "A golem control rod!"

"A golem?" The elf repeated. In Tamriel there were different types of golems, such as those created by mages with elements and animated with arcane energies, or lesser daedra shaped into a certain form by the will of the user. That was not even going into the Dwemer Animunculi. He wondered how much the Thedosian golems differed from Tamriel's.

"Old dwarven constructs" Sereda clarified for him. "They were created when the First Blight began, the Darkspawn were decimating our empire, so we needed an edge. A great smith by the name of Caradin developed the way to create living status of stone or metal that would fight with the smart of a real warrior but with the sheer strength of a siege engine"

So same concept but different application than of that the Dwemer. Well it was worth investigating and luck was seemingly on his side. "As it just so happens I also have some business in Honnleath." He pulled out a paper envelope from one of his satchels; "Need to deliver this for some family from Crestwood."

Sereda lifted a brow while Faren smiled; "That's a lovely coincidence Mr. Elf."

"Oryrn. Oryrn Redoran..."

"Well, my food providing friend, I'm Faren Brosca" The male dwarf introduced himself properly, giving him an exaggerated bow of his head with a hand to his chest. "And my friend here is Sereda A-"

"Just Sereda now" The woman said dispassionately, "That's who I am, no longer am I allowed my last name"

Her companion winced before rubbing his neck as he awkwardly looked away. Her words all but confirmed his suspicions; something had happened to Sereda, something related to the circumstances on why she left her home.

"Are you alright?" He hoped a few kind words would help her.

"I'm fine" Her voice said otherwise.

"If you want to talk about it-"

Her hands clenched and unclenched, her brows twitching as anger, sadness and pain flashed through her eyes. "I do not"

Oryrn understood, and so let it be. Seeing the need to change the mood, he asked them, "If you're going to Honnleath, why were you traveling north? The maps I've seen point it in the other direction"

The dwarves looked at him incredulously; they blinked a few times before the woman replied in a droning voice, "We weren't traveling south?"

The Templar shook his head; "No... I thought you gotten a map from that merchant?"

"We did," Both Dwarves spoke defensively before Sereda bit back a long groan; "Sodding stone sense works like nug crap out here." The woman growled as she took the water-skin to her lips.

"Well we can camp for the night and head in the right direction tomorrow. You both look like you need some more food and actual rest."

Sereda gave the elf a dry stare; "You sure you won't be too well off helping two lost dwarves?"

"Just doing the right thing." He stated simply with a shrug.

* * *

 **XxX ~ next morning ~ XxX**

* * *

The Hinterlands had to be the most pleasant scenery of natural beauty of this country that Oryrn had seen so far. The sun shining high above allowed the colors to stand out all the more in the valley filled with lush forests and crystal clear lakes. The fauna was plentiful, and the flora bloomed with an eye-catching variety of colors. The farming homesteads that dotted the region were evidence to the fertility found in the valley.

Even with the occasional town or hamlet they ran across, or the old ruin long since abandoned, what stood out more to Oryrn was the magic, the sheer energy that came from the nature in the region. Truly, Kyne's hand had touched this land with a loving and gentle caress.

He could spend days here, just meditating, taking in the peace and serenity.

"So, you gotta tell me, what are you really getting out of this?"

If not for a small detail...

"Is it money you want? Cause we ain't have a lot"

As they made their journey towards Honnleath, the roguish dwarf had just not stopped talking.

"I told you I have business of my own there" Well, not exactly of his own. But a quest was a quest, even if it was those 'fetching quests' his mother despised so much.

"Oh no, no, no" Faren shook his head with a knowing smirk, "You don't fool me duster. You want something, if it's not money then it can only be one thing, and I'm sorry but you're not my type"

"...Excuse me?" Oryrn deadpanned.

"Oh I've seen the way you've looked at me"

Sereda had to snort at that. At least it was nice to hear her laugh instead of her usual downed mood.

The elf heaved a sigh as he rolled his eyes, "Perish the thought, my mother raised me to have better taste"

Faren dramatically placed his hand on his heart; "You wound me good Ser. Am I not handsome enough?"

"I prefer women thank you."

That sparked a gleam in Faren's eyes; "Oh, so you wish to bed dear Sereda here."

"He's probably a better lay than you would be," The female Dwarf offered her opinion which earn a chortled from Oryrn while Faren slumped his head. "And he's actually handsome."

A loud pitiful sigh came from the roguish dwarf; "Woo be for this simple honest dwarf."

Oryrn only rolled his eyes as the trio kept their pace even through the Hinterlands. Besides that one retort of sarcasm from Sereda she had kept quiet while Faren reminded the elf of his twin being an utter chatterbox. But conversation did make traveling go smoother as his mother always said.

Faren was very forthcoming about his past, without shame or hesitation, "So as you would expect, they found me out. But after a being locked away for a time me and my friend managed to break out, ended up in the Deed Roads where I would have died had I not met Sereda"

A scoundrel with nothing to his name. Just a thief and a thug, that's what Faren called himself. The dwarf didn't seem to think much of himself, but he spoke in a manner so easy-going and earnest that Oryrn simply couldn't find any type of sadness or buried pain in him. He seemed to be a man who lived in the now.

Oryrn did not judge him for his past, his circumstances were far from ideal but were he in Faren's shoes he'd probably would have done the same. Besides, having been raised by his mother, someone who knew very much about the moral ambiguity of one's actions from personal experience, Oryrn was open minded to accept those of questionable background.

Sereda on the other hand would give him a disapproving look once in a while, but it was clear she at least tolerated his criminal past so long as he kept his twitchy fingers in check. Personally, Oryrn believed the two had formed a sense of camaraderie, having come to rely on the other to survive in a world they knew very little about ever since they found each other on the Deep Roads.

As to her own circumstances to why she ended up in that dreadful place, she still kept quiet on the subject.

What he could tell least from her eyes was that she was in pain. Not in the physical sense but in the heart, and the wound was fresh. This was something she was not ready to share, especially not with a strange foreign elf she met yesterday. Oryrn understood at the present moment Sereda needed space.

"So," Faren looked up to the ebony armor clad Dunmer; "What brought you here?"

"My family."

Sereda shifted her eyes towards him; "Your family?"

"We heard about this place and decided to explore." Was better not to fully say why they were here.

A squinted gaze came from Faren; "Don't normal families tend to typically stay together when traveling?"

"We're not normal."

Sereda sighed in return, "Who really is nowadays?"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

It was a couple of hours later that they finally arrived at Honnleath. A quaint little village that at first look one would think nothing truly interesting ever happened there. But Oryrn knew for a fact all places had their own stories, their own secrets even. It was part of the adventurer's allure, to see new places and discover their stories, one quest leading to another.

Even if it was something as basic as delivering a letter.

As the trio entered the village gate, passing underneath the watchful gaze of the lookout on his scaffolding, Oryrn approached an older looking man who sat by the entrance of his house, carving a wooden figuring with a knife. "Excuse me" The black armored warrior prompted the man to turn away from his task and look at him, "I'm looking for a Rutherford family, I have a letter to deliver to them"

"They live at the second house next to the blacksmith in the center of town" The older main pointed with his knife. "It's where the old statue is, won't miss it"

"Thank you. Oh by the way" He waved at the dwarves at his side, "My friends are looking for a golem they were told resides here"

"Do you know where it could be?" Sereda asked.

The man frowned, "Well course I do, it's that statue I mentioned. Don't know what you want with it, damn thing has a bloody history, I say it's a good thing it hasn't moved in decades..."

Oryrn did not miss the disdain in the man's voice as the dwarves glanced at one another. Still, the three made their way through village undaunted. Walking up the hill-path the Dunmer and Dwarves took notice of the towering stone 'statue' in the village's center.

"I saw a few inactive golems in the Deep Roads," Sereda commented as she and Faren made their way towards their reason for coming here. "This one looks...Different."

Idly listening the Dunmer separated from the two and glanced at the blacksmith and seeing a man out at the house he needed to go to.

Sereda watched the elf for a second then back to the inactive Golem beside Faren who gazed at it with wonder as they stopped and stood in front of it; "I've heard so many stories about these, but to actually see one!"

"A lost legacy of our people..." The female dwarf spoke absently before she took notice of Oryrn rejoining them; "What do you think?"

These were very different compared to the metal automatons that aimless wandered the empty ruins of the underground Dwemer cities. He had to admit he was curious just how they created these here in Thedas. Oryrn turned his gaze to Sereda; "Unique. So how do you wake this thing?"

At the question Faren reached into one of his large pockets and pulled out a small rod made of stone encrusted with jewels. "With this!"

"Okay... And then what?"

Sereda answered staring at the Golem; "With a verse in Dwarven." She took the rod from a giddy Faren as she pointed at the inert stone being. And speaks two words Felix had instructed them to say to wake the Golem. "Dulef gar!"

And... Nothing...

Sereda frowned as she stared at the control rod, shaking it and hitting it against her palm a few times. "This isn't right, the rod should be working correctly" She pointed it at the golem and tried again, "Dulef gar!" Once again, it bore no results.

"Are you saying it right?" Oryrn absently asked.

"I know my own language, thank you" She replied rather acidly.

The elf threw up his hands placating. "Just saying. How much did the rod cost you anyway?"

"Nothing" Faren answered for her, "The guy who gave it to us didn't want anything for it"

"Suddenly it makes sense it doesn't work"

"He only said the thing brought him bad luck" The rogue said before looking at the control rod, "I guess I can see that now"

"Oh you dusted thing" Sereda growled, if looks could kill the rod would be bursting into flames right now. "I swear I'll get it to work if it's the last thing I do" The prospect of owning a golem was too enticing to ignore.

"Excuse me" It was then that they noticed a man in short plain clothes with short blonde haired approaching them, "May I ask what you're trying to do?" He asked suspiciously. It seems their presence in front of the golem had drawn the eye of a few villages around them.

"Apologizes if we're causing a scene," Oryrn spoke first.

"It's fine, but what are you doing exactly?" The man asked again as a little girl in a dress with pigtails ran up beside the man, likely his daughter.

Sereda grunted before giving the man a sideways glance; "Trying to wake this sodding Golem." She lifted up the control rod for the man to see.

His reaction got all threes attention as he sneered at the object; "You ran into Felix de Grosbois?" Sereda and Faren nodded; "Ugh I'd thought I'd never have seen that blighted thing ever again. Hell I didn't think someone would actually come and try to wake Shale up, figured they keep the rod as a souvenir."

The Golem actually has a name? Well, Oryrn supposed it's not uncommon since the Dwemer Automatons have them. Though this sounds more of a personal name than a designation.

"Well we did," Sereda commented as she gazed back at the inert Golem; "This is an artifact of my people."

The human man shook his head; "Regardless we're all safer if that monstrosity stays where it is."

"They wanna wake up Shale papa?" The girl asked looking up to her father.

"I'd rather they not" The man said as he faced the trio, "Listen, Shale's previous owner was my father, Wilhelm. It used to be something of an attraction around the village, parading it around, my father always used it to help with his experiments, and help around the village from time to time" He rested his hands on his waist and shook his head sadly, "Then one day, we found my father dead on ground and Shale right next to him, now inactive"

"You think the golem killed your father?" The black armored elf asked.

"That's what everyone here concluded" He explains with a shrug, "We don't really had any evidence about it, but Shale made it easy on us to think it was the culprit. It certainly voiced its complaints a lot for a hulk of rock. So my mother sold the control rod, hoping it would never be activated it again"

"Wait" Sereda frowned, "You mean the golem spoke? That's very rare; most golem constructs were completely silent as our records go"

"Must have been my father's experiments, I'm not too sure"

"Are those experiments why it looks like this?" The dwarven woman asked, noting the uneven shape of the Shale's body, the chipped pieces of rock, and the crystals sprouting from on its back on arms.

"Ehhh, more or less" Matthias awkwardly scratched his neck, "Shale was actually much bigger. But it had troubles fitting through the door so my father had it chiseled"

Well that explained quite a bit to Sereda who had read up on Paragon Caradin and the Golems during her studies. And she was fairly certain you didn't experiment on a Golem like this man's father did. Sereda felt a headache coming as she rubbed her eyes with a sigh escaping her lips.

Faren scratched his head; "Well... You sure the golem isn't damaged then?"

"There is no way to know." Sereda groaned with frustration.

"At any rate," Oryrn spoke glancing at the dwarves and then the man and his daughter; "I'm Oryrn Redoran, This is Sereda, and Faren."

"Matthias, this is my daughter Amalia." He turned his gazed to the visibly disgruntled female Dwarf; "I'm sorry my lady. But for everyone-" He stopped as the sound of a large bell rang throughout the village.

"DARKSPAWN!" The voice of a man roared as he ran into the village in a panicked speed.

Yells and various cries of panic and fear rang throughout the village, little Amalia clung to her father's leg as the man's eyes widened in shock, "Maker, so far up north already?!" He raised his voice as loud as he could, waved at his fellow villagers so they would notice him, "Go to my house people, we'll be safe there!"

Thankfully, the town's folk seemed to listen to him and hurried over to his house, almost shoving each other as they forced their way through the door.

"You need to hurry!" Matthias pleaded at the trio. "We'll be safe there, my father left a few magical devices, and I know how to operate a barrier that'll keep the Darkspawn from reaching us!"

"And then what?" Sereda asked, "Wait until we all die of starvation?" If they holed themselves up like nugs with no hope of escaping, then that would be the fate that awaited them.

"She's right" Oryrn agreed his voice strong and determined. "The only choice is to fight the Darkspawn; otherwise they'll wreck the town and eventually kill everyone here"

"But..." The man looked at them incredulously, "there are just three of you"

"Heh" Faren rolled his neck, popping the joints. "Yeah it's an unfair fight, for the blighters that is"

Oryrn drew his sword with his shield ready, "Take your daughter and go, put up that barrier. The three of us will handle the darkspawn." So he would finally get to see what these creatures.

Matthias looked at the trio with concern before picking up his daughter and gave them a nod; "I pray you all survive!"

Without looking back he ran with the villagers into his house.

"Have you ever faced Darkspawn Oryrn?" Sereda asked getting ready for the battle.

"No."

"Their blood is highly corrupting," Faren said in a very serious voice; "Whatever you do don't get it in your mouth or you're as good as dead."

"Understood" He spun his sword.

Sereda rolled her shoulders as she brought her sword and shield to bear, the sword was rudimentary at first glance, but to Oryrn he could see that when it came to weapons, dwarven craftsmanship placed greater important to its function than it looks. It was very well made and rather long for someone of Sereda's size. It just a tad shorter than a sword like his own, and while obviously adjusted for her height it wasn't as altered as he would have expected.

The shield was another story, its shape was circular, very wide and large, but what caught his attention the most was very detailed its engraving was, a beautiful craftsmanship indeed. A very evenly designed actogram with various geometrical lines running through the edges and making their way inwards into more intrinsically patterns.

Faren's daggers were oval in shape, designed for stabbing as much as slashing. He spun them in his hands with great dexterity, before looking into his pouches. He grimaced, "Don't have a lot of potions and bombs left"

"You still have the concoctions that make you invisible?" Sereda asked.

"Hmm, just two"

"Save them unless you see a target that warrants"

"I'm sure the people here will let you make more after we're done" Oryrn proposed.

Faren chuckled at that, "So sure of our chances?"

"I believe you were the one saying it's the Darkspawn who are at a disadvantage"

The rogue lifted an eyebrow, "Was that a touch of mirth I heard in your voice?"

"From me?" Oryrn said as he walked forward, intent on meeting the Darkspawn head on before they could get further into the village. "Don't be absurd"

Sereda let out a soft laugh as she followed him; the male dwarf rolled his eyes and followed along as well. "Why can't our talks always be this nice?"

By now all the villagers had to be in Matthias' house where they would be safe. Oryrn steeled himself as he prepared to meet the Darkspawn in battle for the first time.

What he found disgusted him to the core.

They crossed the village's gate, howling and shrieking in search of blood. Their skin was sickly and twisted a few almost like they were rotting. Their sharp edged gear was rusty but he did not doubt they were still very effective. A few donned heavier sets of jagged plate while others covered themselves in chainmail and leather or plate. He noticed how there seemed to be at least three types, of the creatures. One as tall as humans, the other short and stout like dwarves, yet another type was short as well yet possessed a much more developed and larger bulk, mainly in its arms, walking over their knuckles like apes.

Everything about them just felt... wrong. Completely, and absolutely wrong to Oryrn. He could feel a darkness coming from them, a corruption that twisted life itself, warping flesh into these unholy creatures.

Abominations, that's the most befitting word Oryrn could give them. They were affronts against life, just monsters that sought to kill and exterminate. The type of creatures that would earn the wrath of Meridia just by existing.

"Taller ones are hurlocks" Sereda said, her voice dripping with this disgust. "Shorter ones are genlocks; they come in different sizes and shapes. The base type are more versatile, they can fight in melee or use bows in range. The bulkier ones are stronger, they'll try to tear your limbs apart and gnaw off your face"

"Lovely..." The elf droned.

"No emissaries, darkspawn mages, with them" She continued, her eyes narrowing upon a much larger hurlock of bulking mass that hefted a giant warhammer over its shoulder. "But they have an Alpha, way smarter than a regular darkspawn, they direct the groups"

"Do we take it out first?"

"Concentrate on the stragglers, then take out the big one"

It was then the darkspawn noticed them, the shrieks they made were unnatural sounds that would shake the hearts of lesser men. The Alpha roared, pointing its warhammer at their direction, ordering the rest of its party to take them out. The archers among them spread out to more advantageous positions, while the genlocks, both the common and its bulkier brethren, charged at them, the hurlocks following suit.

Against creatures that emanated such an aura of corruption, Oryrn had no doubt in his mind that his particular brand of magic would be effective against them; he just had to test his theory. He let go of his shield and reared back his arm, gathering pure light in the palm of his hand, willing it to take shape.

The power of the Tamriel Templar, the holy magics which draw power from the gods. These schools of spells were often practiced by healers and priests, monks and sects of warriors would employ them to exterminate evil. It was a magic powered by faith.

While many drew power from faith in the gods, there were others such as Oryrn who based their faith not on a deity, but a belief, a set of morals, ideals held in the highest of regards. Oryrn, who was too closely related to the gods, placed his faith in the values his mother taught him as he was growing up, so in her words he could grow up to become better than she ever was. Justice, honor, righteousness, those were the things he dearly believed it. Doing good for the sake of good, to defend the defenseless.

And right now, there was an entire village of innocents counting on him.

The light in his hand shined like the sun, its spear shape shimmered with godlike power as he called it forth. With a heave and a mighty cry, he threw the spear which pierced the air with a sound that was almost musical in nature.

The spear impacted upon one of the bulky genlocks, exploding with holy power, spreading against more of its kin that were too close to the area of the impact. They let out horrified shrieks of agony as the light burned them, searing skin and flesh, its twisted pale colors blackening.

Sereda and Faren watched in morbid fascination as the corrupted beasts hit by whatever the elf threw at them were burning them to ashes. "That's an advantage," Oryrn spoke with utter conviction.

The alpha hurlock growled before releasing a bestial roar. The remaining Darkspawn growled and hissed in anger.

"Well you definitely pissed them off!" Faren stated as the Darkspawn charged again. "Here they come!"

Sereda let out a valiant cry as she shield bashed a genlock, knocking it back and giving her ample opportunity to bury her blade in its throat. The charging sound if it's much bulkier kin drew her attention, managing to lift her shield just in time to hold back the creature, its massive arms banging upon the metal with ferocity. Her feet dragged across the ground as she was pushed back, her teeth gritting in effort as she tried to hold the beast back.

Faren dashed at her side in a display of speed, with a short leap he stabbed one of his daggers over the creature's neck, it let out a gurgling cry, trashing before slowly succumbing to the ground.

Sereda quickly recovered and pushed Faren away, blocking an arrow with her large shield. Oryrn spotted a trio of hurlock archers wielding bows who had chosen to stand atop some elevated ground. He gathered his magic once again and threw his aedric spear sky high; it splintered upon a multitude of lesser projectiles that fell upon the archers like a hailstorm of death.

As before the darkspawn howled in pure agony and pain with their bodies burned by the magical light. "What the hell are you?!" Sereda bellowed as she sliced through a hurlock's knees. It hissed before collapsing forward till her blade connected through its head killing it.

"Explain once over!" Oryrn yelled back as he rolled out of the way of the large Alpha who charged for him.

The elf threw another of his spears, but the Alpha proved its superior intelligence by knowing the projectile would be severely harmful. It grabbed one of its lesser kin, throwing it on the middle of the spear's path. The hurlock cried in pain as the Alpha carelessly stepped over it, continuing its path.

It brought its giant warhammer down upon him, Oryrn barely managed to dodge in time as Faren swiftly stepped in, slashing at the back of the Alpha's knees, the dwarf ducked as it swung its harmer wildly. Sereda charged in with a battle cry, seeking to stab the creature with a thrust of her blade. It pierced through its jagged armor, making the creature growl in pain, yet it kept moving. It looked down at Sereda in fury that paled at the sight of the hammer being raised. She held her shield up just in time as the hammer fell down, making her groan as her knees buckled under the weight.

The Alpha raised its hammer once more, seeking to pummel the dwarven woman as many times as it was necessary. The hammer fell down a second time, drawing a cry of pain from the dwarf as one of her knees gave out; the ringing metal of the shield vibrated through her bones, her arms ached in agony, struggled to keep her shield up. Sereda wasn't sure how much she could resist the Alpha's mighty blows that felt more akin to a bronco stepping over her.

The monstrous darkspawn hefted his warhammer once more, and Sereda braced her. Suddenly Oryrn arrived swiftly at her side, holding up his free hand and casting a golden barrier around them. The impact of the hammer against the barrier was akin to ripples in the water. Making Oryrn grit his teeth as how much strength this creature possessed.

It was then that Faren jumped unto the creature with a battle cry, burying its daggers over its back as he held on it. The Alpha roared and thrashed around, yet the rogue held on, repeatedly stabbing its back.

Its roar of pain echoed the village but Faren kept digging his daggers into the monster's flesh. Its blackened blood spewed all over the ground killing grass and darkening the earth. Still the Alpha endured till a blade black as night pierced from it jaw, through its skull and came through the top of its head. The enormous warhammer fell from its hands.

Oryrn growled as he gripped his blade, "Burn in the fires of the gods!" He roared as his sword took the glow of his Aedric spear and the Alpha was enveloped in holy flames. Faren leapt off as the darkspawn ignited.

They watched as the creature fell limp to the ground, its body slowly crumbling into charred corpse as holy fire ate away at its corrupted flesh, making for a very macabre looking campfire. The Templar scowled at the remains of the other Darkspawn, a part of him wanted to study them closely, but a bigger part of him demanded he destroys them. Better to get rid of them than letting the villages have to.

Summoning golden embers of flames in his hands, he quickly proceeded to immolate every corpse he found on sight.

Faren sat on the ground, letting out a long dragged out sigh while Sereda sheathed her weapon. "Didn't tell us you were a mage" He said to Oryrn.

"You didn't ask"

"I get it, I get it" Sereda put up her hands, "Chantry here is all crazy about magic and demons, don't worry, we won't tell. Wouldn't be proper of me to rat out someone who fought at our side"

"About that, we really kick ass together" Faren said with smirk, "Real good team playing there"

Oryrn couldn't help but agree, despite still being recent acquaintances, the three had demonstrated a high level of coordination, taking down the darkspawn together and protecting each other at various instances. The Templar believed it to be a testament on both their own individual skill and the mentality to work on each other's strengths at the right time.

The elf paused before recounting the battle; "That group was too small, they must have been a scouting party."

"Darkspawn don't scout." Sereda stated turning to Oryrn; "They corrupt and destroy. Leaving no survivors save for women."

His brow rose as he took off his helmet; "They take women? Why?" The idea worried him immensely.

Her gaze darkened considerably, disgust and horror etched unto her face, "Broodmothers… you don't want to know"

Well that was informative, the elf grunted; "Let's go tell the village everything is alright now."

Both Dwarves gave a nod as they went back up the hill; Sereda glanced at Shale before refocusing to Matthias house. "You two should probably get some new gear at the smith's before you go anywhere. Those leathers look ready to fall off."

At that Sereda could help but agree gazing down at cringing at her armor. She was lucky finding that sword and shield of dwarven in workable condition when trying to survive the deep roads.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

They entered the house, and were surprised to find no one inside, realizing the townsfolk must be deeper inside the house, as it looked surprisingly large, more so than what its' appearance on the outside suggested.

"Looks like this place was built into the earth" Oryrn pointed out.

"Ahhh now this feels like a proper home" Sereda said in approval.

Navigating deeper into the center of the house, the Templar couldn't help but notice the various kinds of artifacts laid in various tables and shelves, not to mention the massive collection of tomes and books. They were all giving an arcane vibe, especially those crystals they kept finding on the desks.

"This house belonged to a mage" The elf said, running his hand over one of the tomes that lay on a table.

"Makes sense I guess" Faren shrugged, "Matthias said his dad experimented on Shale, he was either a mage or an alchemist or something" He had little idea on what the former could do, but he knew for a fact that alchemists did pretty amazing things when working with lyrium.

As the ventured further in, their suspicions were proven correct when they reached an ample room and found Matthias and the villagers standing behind a shining barrier that split the room in half, no doubt meant to keep invaders from getting further in.

"You're back!" He cried out in joyous disbelief, along with many other villages who expressed their surprise and relief in various ways, some even dropping to the floor and thanking their god. "Are the Darkspawn gone?"

"We sent them back to the bowels of the earth" Sereda said with satisfaction. "It was a good thing we were here when they arrived"

"Bless you," An elf woman said tearfully as Matthias dispelled the barrier. Before the people could thank their saviors Matthias came up to trio first. Worry and panic shone in his eyes.

"My daughter Amalia, she let go of my hand and went into my father's old research room." He pointed to a door at the side of the wall well hidden by shelves beside it.

Oryrn's brow rose; "You can't get her?"

"I've never gone into that place; father placed all kinds of magical traps down there." Matthias said fearfully.

"What kind of a father are you?" Sereda accused him, surprising Oryrn by how much anger there was in them. "'Oh it's dangerous'! If you were a real father you'd go after her!"

Matthias' gaze became downcast in shame, "I-"

"Enough Sereda" Oryrn firmly spoke, "You're not helping"

She crossed her arms, turning her back to the man with disgust. "Neither is he"

After a few awkward seconds, Faren coughed, getting their attention. "Look, we'll get the runt. Don't worry" He smiled at him, hoping to ease his fears, "Anything you could tell us about the place?"

"Only that it's got some traps, beyond that I don't know. I never dared to venture further"

"Will watch out for traps and get Amalia," Oryrn stated with a glance to Sereda who grunted.

Matthias gave a grateful nod to the elf and male dwarf as Sereda had already started for the research door.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

They entered into a large narrow cave pathway. Oryrn stayed ahead of them having a keen eye for magical traps thanks to his training from his mother, Serana, and the Paladins. Luckily he found none as they came to a large carved out room with an old table, desk, and shelves fill with tomes and scrolls, and lastly a fireplace. Dust and cobwebs was thick in this area as they noticed another path beside the room. Going through they saw those weird crystals on either side of cave rock.

It felt like they were going downward they finally neared a door.

It took them through a hallway that connected to a great chamber. In the center of it all there was some sort of square puzzle-like construct in which some of the tiles had streams of fire jumping from segment to segment. Around the device five support beams held up the cave's stone ceiling, at the side of the beams there were various statues of mabari as well as carvings of soldiers.

But what drove their attention the most was Amalia, kneeling in front of the device to pet a cat.

The trio let out a collective sigh of relief at seeing the young girl safe and sound. "There you are" Oryrn said gently as he approached her, the pig-tailed girl turned to look at them in surprise, but waved at them all the same. "Amalia, your father is worried sick; you shouldn't have run here when the village was about under attack"

"I know" She said, her face frowning in lamentation, "I was so scared, so I wanted to come here to see Kitty. She always cheers me up when I'm sad or worried"

"The cat lives here?" Faren muttered in confusion, real odd for the feline to just stay all the time here.

"Yes!" The young girl nodded. "Grandpa Wilhelm trapped Kitty here long ago. Can you imagine it? That's so mean! I have no idea why grandpa would do that..."

That set off various warning bells on Oryrn's mind, "Why would a mage need to trap a cat here?" The strange device in front of them, it must have something to do with it. "Amalia, where did you learn that?" He asked her, though he kept his tone controlled, there was still urgency in his voice.

She cheerfully said, "Kitty told me!"

"...That cat can talk," Faren spoke with honest skepticism.

" **Yes, I can**." three pairs of eyes shot towards the direction of the feline who stared back up at them. Its eyes glowed a pinkish color; " **Amalia has always been such a dear. I had been all alone down here for so long till she came.** " The feline's voice was feminine, melodic and sultry.

This was no ordinary feline. Oryrn knew this was some sort of entity, of what he was not sure. But he felt behind that playful voice was an edge of maliciousness. "So what are you?" he asked with a minor curiosity but held his priority for the girl first.

" **I'm a cat, can't you tell**..."

"And I'm a nug" Faren muttered to himself.

Oryrn was certain that was no cat at all, it exuded a supernatural aura. And while it was doing a great job at keeping it suppressed, someone of Oryrn's expertise and own nature could feel it at this distance. Not to mention the cat was passively using its magic to make other people more susceptible to its influence. No doubt it was trying to possess Amalia's mind.

The elf had to think carefully, planning on how to approach the situation without risking Amalia. If the cat wanted to possess the girl then it would have done so already. But the girl did say her grandfather had trapped the creature in this place, its power was most likely limited, weakened in some form. So it took the form of a simple household animal to trick the girl. A combination of childish wonder and subtle influence on the cat's part made the girl act quite comfortable before it.

Oryrn feared what this creature actually is; a demon the Chantry preached against needed was permission from the girl to possess her body and escape. He would not allow it.

 **"All I want is to spend time with Amalia, oh I adore the dear so much"** The cat purred. **"If you'd give us some privacy-"**

"I know what you want" Oryrn warned her, "And you will not have her"

"Have me?" The girl tilted her head in confusion.

 **"And here I thought we were having such a nice conversation"** The demon sighed in disappointment, **"Now, now, let's not do anything rash or else there'll be... consequences"** She stalked closer to the girl, oblivious to the danger she was in.

A thought occurred to Oryrn; he looked at the puzzle device before them, "That construct keeps you sealed here, right?"

The cat-looking creature frowned, **"Correct..."** She said with suspicion.

"If we release, do you promise to let the girl go?"

The slanted eyes widened in surprise, **"Ohhh I swear it upon my honor"** She purred in delight.

This was no magical oath; Oryrn knew the demon would go back at her word first time she got. But that was fine; it wasn't Oryrn's intention to let her go anyway.

"Faren, Sereda" He called to his companions, "Can you try solving the puzzle?"

"What?" The dwarven woman's eyes widened in surprise, "Look Oryrn I admit I have no idea about any of this stuff, but are you sure it's safe to-"

"Please" He insisted, his voice soft and controlled, "Trust me"

The dwarves exchanged an uneasy look, Faren shrugged before nodding to the elf, Sereda sighed before agreeing, "Alright" With that, the two began inspecting the device, trying to figure out how to operate it.

The cat's attention was directed to the dwarves, the thought of her freedom being so close at hand made her turn away from the girl and the knight. **"Yeeees..."** Her voice was full of ecstasy, almost salivating. Release of this damnable prison after so long.

That brief moment of distraction was all Oryrn needed. He charged holy magic on his hand, carefully approaching Amalia and placing his cast hand on her shoulder. A sacred ward was formed around the girl, protecting her against malicious influences and shielding her mind.

The pig-tailed girl blinked in confusion at the glow surrounding her. "What's this?"

The cat's attention snapped back to them, feeling her control of the girl slipping away. **"What have you done?!"** She cried out in outrage.

"I've protected her from you" Oryrn glared at the creature defiantly.

" **No! She is mine! MINE**!"

"No longer, demon" The Templar spat as he thrusted his arm, the golden glow of magic burst from his hand, "Now, reveal to us your true self!"

While the dunmer could admit his conjuration skills were nowhere near Sarya's, his mothers'; he was adept enough to use what he needed. And at the moment he was binding this demon to his will.

It roared in defiance as it mentally fought against him in-vain as his will was as unyielding as steel. Soon a light enveloped the cat and a figure took its place which caused Amalia to scream in fright and hide behind Oryrn.

"Oh you sneaky duster!" Faren chuckled as he returned to the elf's side with Sereda. "You needed a distraction."

"Pretty much."

The roguish dwarf whistled at the sight of a scantily clad female humanoid creature with purple and grey skin, horns just above the brow with glowing velvet eyes, and flames coming off its head. Faren had to admit it had a beautiful curvaceous figure with an ample bust.

"Wouldn't mind having a night with her," Sereda only rolled her eyes before rubbing her forehead at Faren's comment.

The demon glared unable able to move as Oryrn stared back. What was this thing? It felt like a spirit of some kind but not of a particularly aligned concept of Stasis or Change, it certainly was no nature spirit. "What are you called?"

 **"...Desire"** Its voice now pained as it still fought against his control. **"I am... The manifestation of a person's inner most lust, wealth, and power."**

The creature was not a daedra, not truly, more like a thought-form given life by the emotions and actions of the living. Chaotic in nature, moldable, but a true denizen of Oblivion it was not.

"Kitty!" Amalia cried out in fear and disbelief, "You're a demon! I... No, you won't have me!" She ran back through the door with the intent of returning to her father, the demon could only watch as her hopes of escape were obliterated.

"The child is safe, you'll never have her" Oryrn declared, He drew his sword which glowed in holy fire, "And I banish you back into the Void!" His thrust was true, Desire gasped in pain as it pierced her chest. Her body shuddered as the holy energy disrupted her very essence, tearing it apart as the mere concept of her nature was eradicated by the powers of order.

Her form glowed and crumbled away, Desire's essence would return to the Fade in time, but the entity that she was, her thoughts and emotions, were gone for good.

"Now Honnleath is safe," Oryrn declared with a sigh. "Had she gotten out who knows what she would have done?"

"We heroes now?" Faren asked as they left Wilhelm's research basement.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Exiting the door they found a tearful Matthias holding his daughter in his arms. Faren noticed the villagers had all left which left them, Matthias and Amalia. "Thank you." the man muttered as he looked towards the trio.

"Glad to help." Oryrn nodded as he took off his helmet.

"Oh my" His eyes widened in surprise, noting the more angular structure of his face, and more importantly the shape of his ears. "Y-You're quite tall for an elf"

Oryrn chuckled good-naturally, "So I've been told" He knelt down before Amalia, smiling comfortingly at her, "I'm glad to see you're okay"

She shyly replied, "Thank you for saving me"

"No more talking to strangers okay? Specially talking animals"

The girl eagerly nodded, "Deal!"

"After all you've done" Matthias said, "You three deserve a reward"

Sereda was about to wave him off, if not for Faren to suddenly intervene, "If we could take your golem you'd be doing us a real solid there chief" Earning a frown from the dwarven woman.

At the request the man gave them an incredulous look, "You still want Shale even after what I told you?"

Much as she hated to admitted... "We really could use the golem" Not even Sereda could deny the advantages of having one following them.

"I see" Matthias rubbed his neck, "Well, I guess you've earnt it. If you can keep Shale under control that is"

"Oh we won't give it any reason to squish us" Faren smirked.

"There is still a problem though" Oryrn pointed out, "The control rod doesn't work"

The dwarves' spirits quickly deflated at remembering that little detail.

Matthias frowned, "It doesn't? Let me see" Sereda handed the rod to him, and began to inspect it. "That's odd, looks just like I remember it. Have you spoken the password?"

"Yes" The dwarven woman groaned, "Said Dulef Gar over and over, but it doesn't work. It's proper dwarven tongue so I don't know what could be-"

"Ohhhh of course!" Matthias' eyes lit up in realization, "That's the problem, the password isn't dulef gar, it's 'dulen harn'"

Sereda and Faren gave the man a look as he chuckled; "Mother must have switched the phrase just in case someone actually came." Matthias sighed; "At any rate the village elder wanted to see you three up top. Be careful with Shale."

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Leaving Matthias's home they saw the entire village waiting for them and cheered. In front of them was an elderly bald man with a thick mustache dress in modest clothes. He smiled as the three came out with Matthias and his daughter.

Quite a few were taken by surprise of Oryrn's face and elven appearance but shook it off. "Thank you for saving our village," the old man spoke warmly.

"Glad to help," Oryrn smiled while Faren took in the praise from the people. Sereda remained reserved save only a smirk on her lip.

"On behalf of us all you three are always welcome to Honnleath Ser..."

"Oryrn Redoran, that is Faren Brosca, and she is Sereda."

"I am Elder Isaac; please rest yourselves here for the night."

A man yelled out in the crowd; "My inn is free you all! Same with the food!"

At that Faren drooled before wiping his mouth; "Well can't say no free bed and food now can we?!" He gazed to Sereda and Oryrn.

"Anything I'd say would be wasted on you wouldn't it?" The elven warrior drawled.

"Don't get between a dwarven man and his stomach" The rogue warned before going straight for the inn, doubt about to order a large piece of venison with a whole barrel of mead.

Sereda crossed her arm, looking half-reproaching half-amused at the male dwarf as he walked away. "He might be a touch crude, but deep down he's got a good heart"

"You had to keep him from stealing things haven't you?"

"Ever since we got out of the Deep Roads..." She grumbled.

The elf let out a soft laugh before patting her on the shoulder, "So, do you want to wake the golem?"

"Hmm" Her eyes turned to the construct still standing in the middle of the village. "Eh, maybe tomorrow. Think I've had enough for one day"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

The mood was lively as both the inn and village were celebrating and honoring their heroes. The inn was partially filled with people who cheered in merriment. The trio sat at the largest table in the inn as one of the two waitresses, a female elf with short brunette hair and green eyes handed them mugs filled with mead. While eating a large plate of well-cooked Venison Faren noticed the girl eyeing Oryrn.

Being thanked and leaving to perform more orders the roguish dwarf smirked; "Our dear elven waitress has been looking at you since we got in here."

The warrior waved if off, "She's just thankful to us"

"One among us in particular it seems" Sereda smirked teasingly.

"You're just seeing things"

As if cue, the elven waitress returned, giving them all a wide smile but reserved a rather seductive look for Oryrn in particular. "Is there anything else I can for our heroes?"

"We need three kegs of beer!" The dwarven rogue said with his mouth full, making the elf momentarily recoil at his poor manners.

"Ignore him" Oryrn said with a roll of his eyes before giving a grateful smile at the waitress, "Thanks, we're fine"

"Just say the word" She gently placed her hand on Oryrn's armored shoulder, leaning a bit forward as to look at him closer. "And I'll come right over" With a wink and a skip to her step she went back to attend the other tables.

Oryrn couldn't help but watch as she elven woman walked away, absently thinking to himself that she was indeed a very pretty. When he faced back his companions, he found two dry looks directed at him. "What?"

"' _Seeing things'_ , my ass" Sereda snorted before giving him a teasing smile, "Oh she really likes you"

"She'd be disappointed, I'm not staying here long." Oryrn shrugged eating his food with much more care.

Faren snorted; "Don't think she wants something long-term my foreign elven friend. She just wants to jump your bones." He stated bluntly as he took a swig of beer.

At that the elf paused in thought. Sereda grinned; "Think you earned it my friend."

"I wouldn't feel right knowing-"

"Oh please, let me" Faren signaled the waitress, despite Oryrn's silent protests.

The brunette elf soon walked up to their table, "Anything I can help you with?"

"Yeah, my friend here thinks you're pretty cute" The dwarf casually said, causing Oryrn to look at him in disbelief before face palming.

The blush on the elven woman's cheeks was adorable, "O-Oh!" She fiddled with her hands over her apron, not quite willing to meet the other elf's gaze. All that boldness she displayed before when flirting with Oryrn seemed to have gone out the window, perhaps she didn't believe her advances would actually be returned.

Or perhaps it was the dwarf making things uncomfortable for them.

Sereda just rubbed her eyes for her fellow Dwarf's lack of tact... Then again tact really wasn't a thing among most of her people. "What my fellow dwarf states we know you have been eyeing our friend here since arriving. Maybe you'd like to show him around the village tonight?"

At that the elven waitress blushed turned redder. Oryrn only gave a glare at Sereda who smiled at him. "I-I... would like that...I-If Ser Oryrn doesn't object."

The Dunmer looked wide eyed at the waitress. Glancing back to his companions as they smirked.

Well things weren't boring here in Thedas that was certain.

* * *

 **XxX ~ next morning ~ XxX**

* * *

Faren stretched beside Sereda as they exited the inn. Hot food, a bath, and bed did them both some much needed good. "Probably go to that smith as Oryrn suggested," Sereda mentioned looking down at her leather gear. She hoped that smith had something in armor and for Dwarves. "Oryrn still asleep?"

A chuckle came from the roguish dwarf; "I do believe the young lady waitress tended to him all of the evening. Would love details though."

"A gentleman does not discuss such things." Both turn seeing Oryrn behind them. "Going to wake Shale?"

"New armor first, then the Golem." Sereda stated.

The dwarven woman tugged at the leather bracers in her arm, they had their fair share of wear and tear by now. "I'd feel much comfortable with some proper plate. Only have these leathers cause I didn't have much of a choice"

"The blacksmith might have something in store to reinforce those" The elf spoke before suddenly remembering something. "If not, perhaps you could perhaps commission him this" And pulled out from his bag a rolled up paper, he handed it to the dwarven woman who eyed it curiously.

Her eyes soon widened in surprise, her mouth opening and closing a few times. "This is a Bownammar plate schematic. Where did you get this?"

"From a smith on Crestwood, said he got it from dwarven mercenaries"

"Oh this armor is just beautiful" Her smile was almost child-like, "What I'd give to have plate like this"

"Can see if the smith can make that." Faren said as he leaned in beside his fellow Dwarf looking at the paper. He himself would just be happy with a new set of leathers.

Without another word Sereda ran up the hill with the other two following. Outside a modest house a large hearth was ablaze as a bald man wearing a thick apron over his clothes like all smiths, working hot metal in his hand and hammer on the anvil. Close by were tables of all manner of armors, leathers, and weapons.

Sereda took a quick breath as she stopped by the tables. "Excuse me."

The smith glanced up and stopped; "Ah hello!" He smiled putting down his metal and hammer. He walked over; "What could I do for one of the heroes on Honnleath?"

The female dwarf handed him the schematic; "Would you be able to make that?"

"Hmm..." Faren and Oryrn soon stood behind her as the smith went over every detail on the paper. Lowering the paper he gave an apologetic look; "Afraid I can't. I don't have enough raw materials nor am I skilled in Dwarven crafting."

Faren lifted a brow as he thumbed over to the tables; "That stuff is dwarven." He pointed to several armors and leathers.

"I got those in Denerim when getting supplies." He gave Sereda another apologetic look; "I'm sorry my lady."

A sigh came from the female dwarf; "It's fine." She took back the schematic and gave it back to Oryrn. "May we look at what you have?"

"Certainly, free of charge for today."

After an hour of work, the smith had properly repaired and even upgraded their gear. Sereda opted to add a few plates of quality steel around her greaves, bracers, along with a chest plate. She felt much more secure with the extra protecting they provided. While Faren just wanted to repair and reinforce his own armor with some hardened leather, his fighting style benefiting more from wearing lighter gear with greater mobility. He also had his own daggers sharpened and cleaned, along with Sereda's blade, plus her shield being tampered and reinforced.

"Ahhh" Sereda smiled in satisfaction, twisting her body to test the mobility she found it more than suitable. "Now that's what I'm talking about" She said as she rasped her knuckles against the chest plate.

Faren twirled one of the daggers in his hand with great dexterity, "Heh, just a few days ago we were barely scrapping by. Funny how life goes on huh?"

"All that's left is to wake up the golem" Oryrn spoke, "What will you do then?"

The two dwarves shared a look, "I've just been following your lead" Faren said to Sereda.

The dwarven woman looked conflicted lost even. "I... I don't know" She admitted with a wary voice. "All this time I've just focused on keeping us alive. I honestly have no idea what to do now" There was pain in her eyes, the kind one felt when they didn't belong or weren't accepted anywhere. "I'm an outcast now, stripped of name and everything... I might as well be dead to the Stone already"

She was lost, Oryrn could see that. A part of him wanted to know what made her a said outcast but it wasn't his place nor did he think he had earned her trust yet for such a thing. But there was one thing he could offer them. "How about you two joining me on my exploring?"

Both dwarves shot their heads up with shock in their eyes. "You sure?" Faren asked with a cock of his head. "We don't really know much outside of Orzammar."

"And I know absolutely nothing of Orzammar or the rest of these lands. But figured we could learn together." His tone was honest as he grinned at the two.

Sereda bit the inside of her lip as thought to herself. Oryrn has proven himself a good man, trusted warrior to watch their backs, and good company. Perhaps she could tell him... Hmm, maybe later. But at present she smiled; "Be honored to travel with you Oryrn." She turned her gaze to the Golem; "Now just waking him and we can go...Wherever we're going after here."

"Back to the Hinterlands, see Redcliffe?"

Both dwarfs gave an accepting nod to the Dunmer's suggestion as they made their way to Shale.

They stood before the golem as Sereda help up the rod, "Alright, this better work now" She activated the lyrium in the rod, and spoke the words, "Dulen harn!"

For a moment, they thought nothing had happened, until they heard the noise of cracking stone. The golem's head slowly began shaking, dust and bits of pebbles falling off as it did so. The hands stiffly moved, clenching its giant stone fingers. The golem looked at them with an intense gaze, before suddenly moving its arms in a sudden motion as if breaking apart invisible chains.

The golem stood straight, almost looking down on them due to its height. It posed an intimidating presence, and they understood this thing was a walking weapon of war.

Then it yawned.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" The golem's rocky face shifted as it actually mimicked humanoid expressions, "After so long the rod has a new owner and by extension me, terrific..." its tone was so dry it might as well be sandpaper.

The trio could only stare.

"Oh wonderful, two dwarves and a mage. Well isn't this a splendid way of waking up"

At the word mage Oryrn lifted a brow; "How do you know I wield magic?"

"Oh it thinks these crystals are just decoration" Why was the golem calling him an 'it'? "All mages have an energy about them, like a cloud surrounding their bodies. Though I admit never seen one in armor." Shale grunted; "At least you're not that petulant mage..." The golem's voice became distant before staring back at the control rod; "That is the control yes?"

"Yes..." Confusion came from Sereda as she looked at both her comrade and back to the Golem. "Is something wrong?"

"Hmm..." The Golem tapped it's stony chin; "Give me a command, anything."

"Dance!" Faren yelled out with a smile with Oryrn and Sereda dryly staring at him.

"Not you, her!" Shale said with stern authority.

Still confused the female dwarf shrugged; "Move ten paces left." and nothing happened...

"Curious... I felt no compulsion to move or obey." Shale blinked its eyes; "Does that mean I have freewill?"

Sereda looked at the rod and back to the Golem before sighing; "So something did break when that Wilhelm was experimenting on you..."

Mentioning the name Shale scoffed; "Don't mind of that insufferable man. Bad enough I look like this because of him, but he was an utter lout I would have gladly flung off a cliff."

Ignoring the murderous words of a man no longer alive Faren asked the stone being; "So now you can do whatever you want?"

At that Shale blinked, Oryrn could swear the golem appeared lost for words... "It appears I do... but what purpose do I have now? Without the control rod I know not what to do."

"You could come with us?" Oryrn spoke up garnering Shale's attention. "Maybe you can find a purpose along the way."

"I suppose..." Shale pondered before nodding; "Very well, it will be better than standing as a statue with birds defecating and urinating all over me."

Sereda smiled at the golem in a friendly fashion, things weren't what she expected but at least she could say the company would be interesting. "Good to have you with us Shale"

"Yes, yes indeed." The golem said uncaringly, "Let's leave this place already. Can't stand these mouth-breathers gawking at me" True enough, a fair number of villagers who were going through their morning routine were looking and pointing at the once again moving golem.

The group of four left without fuss, only for the trio to stop at the village's entrance when they heard a heavy 'THUD' along with the short lived cry of a bird and the crunching of bones.

They saw Shale standing next to a puddle of blood and feathers, its foot equally dirty.

The golem gave a shrug.

Sereda groaned while Oryrn let out a long sigh. "You think it won't mind if I do eat chicken right?" Faren asked

The two ignored him as they continued on their way. "So, if we're traveling together" Sereda suddenly began nervously, "There are a couple of things you should know about me…"

"Hmph, was just about to say the same"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

 _ **Next chapter be coming!**_


	8. First daughter of the dragon

**Disclaimer** : We do not own Dragon Age Origins or Elder Scrolls Series

 **Co-Author and Beta** : Etheral-23

 **First daughter of the dragon**

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Someone once asked; 'What is best in life?' The answer of course varied from person to person, often highly influenced by their altmer would say the best in life was live up to one's legacy, honing your craft through the centuries and elevate your standing in society. A nord would say the best in life was to bring down your foes and later sing about it with a mug of mead.

Sofie was inclined to that Nordic outlook in life, she was a nord after all, but she often thought it had more to do with how she grew up rather than her race.

Being an lonely orphan selling flowers in Windhelm, only to be rescued by grace of a woman's kindness, had taught her to always live life to the fullest. Miara's tales had inspired in her a wanderlust that only another adventurer could understand, and so as she grew up she honed her body to become a weapon of battle. The slim womanly form of a lady in her teenage years became a mighty muscular frame that did not sacrifice a drop of feminity, in fact it blended the best aspects of both in a way the nords considered very attractive. Well, the orcs did too.

Picking up a blade and magic, Sofie had found her calling as an adventurer, actively seeking to face mortal danger and explore the unknown. Truly, this was the life meant for her. Following in her mother's footsteps she would face monsters of all shapes and sizes, rescue people in need, and plunder through forgotten ruins.

Oh her mother was very worried about her, but Miara knew she couldn't deny her daughter's wishes when she herself indulged in the life of an adventurer. So her mother did all she could to make sure no mortal threat could overcome her, training her in both the ways of steel and spell. Going as far as to even grant her abilities beyond mortal prowess after consulting both Grandmother and Great Aunt.

To Sofie, that was best in life.

The offer of exploring a whole new continent was too tempting for the Nordic woman to ignore.

And this new world called Ferelden proved to be a true beauty of nature. This was why after splitting up with her family she went off the Imperial Highway and wandered throughout the vast lush forests and grasslands. She had a map of course but she always enjoyed going where her feet took her.

She was more like her mother in that aspect.

Thankfully when hunting for food while traversing Ferelden she did not learn Miara's very poor to nonexistent skills of the culinary arts. Jordis and Iona had been blessings by the Nine.

The birds were singing in the trees as the Nordic woman gazed at her map. Currently she was in the Southron Hills which as the name suggested was vibrant grassy mountainous area. By the looks of it she was nearing a small farm settlement.

"Lothering..." Sofie wasn't certain if was saying it right but shrugged and pressed forward putting away her map.

As to what the Blackstone Irregular liaison told her, plus what she kept hearing along the way, the forces rallying at Ostagar weren't too far away from that town. Using some old fortress as a bastion to muster a defense against these Darkspawn creatures brewing in the south.

Sofie preferred to keep a safe distance from the conflict, but considered it'd be smart if she could at least stay close enough to hear about new developments. Just in case she needed to inform her family. Truly, they had arrived in a complicated time. A country at war was never fun, for all the glory of battle, there was as much suffering from the innocents caught in between.

So she kept her pace, her course laid in for Lothering. She had yet to reach the village when she felt it, the familiar pulse of magic.

Her expression carefully guarded, Sofie approached with a cautious step, using a muffled spell to silence any sound coming from her, keeping close to the trees so she wouldn't be seen.

The closer she got to the source, the more she could feel the magic. It was very... primal. Pure nature power. Very pure.

Sofie had only felt such a magic a few times, from very experienced and powerful druids, and from spirits of nature such as elder fey, spriggans and the like.

"Marian, please, I beg you reconsider" A young woman's voice suddenly spoke, sounding worried.

"Oh please, you worry too much" Another woman's voice responded in a much more easy-going tone.

Peering through a large brush that kept her well-hidden she saw two young women with raven black hair much like her own. With one being wavy and down to the shoulders and other's being short, both had flawless pale skin and perfect figures dressed in simple cotton shirts and skirts with leather boots.

Sofie could tell by their features they were family, sisters most likely. Her mother had taught to pay attention to every detail.

"I'm serious Marian, what if the Templars spot us?" The wavy haired girl spoke up her concerns.

Marian simply rolled her sapphire eyes; "We're at least a good distance away from Lothering Bethany, plus the Templars have more pressing matters."

Bethany shook her head; "Mother wouldn't approve."

"Not the first I've done something she never found out about," Marian snorted as she knelt down and placed her hand on the ground. "Plus people need food, and with the refugees coming in I refuse to do nothing."

Sofie cocked her brow as she kept observing.

It was a small clearing amongst the tree that laid before the two women, confirming to her they were sisters if the long haired one mentioning a mother was any indication, the area couldn't be more than fifteen meters long and nine meters wide, the only vegetation present being the grass.

The short haired one, Marian, closed her eyes and seemed concentrate. The pulses of magic grew stronger, seeping into the ground. It dawned on the Nordic warrior that the magic she had been feeling was coming from this woman. Before she could ponder any more on the possibilities on someone possessing such a high affinity with natural magic like that, the effects of her power began to manifest.

It started with small saplings emerging from the ground, just little things that slowly elongated and sprouted leaves... in the span of a few seconds. In just a few seconds the clearing was filled with growing plants.

In one minute, the plants became half-grown trees.

In ten minutes, they were fully grown.

And in only a few minutes more, they were already bearing fruits. Apples, pears and the like. All looking perfectly ripped.

Sofie could not stop the widening of her eyes at such display of magic.

She had only seen true masters like Neloth, late arch-mage Savos Aren, or her mother perform such powerful feats. And such high level magic should be impossible unless you had years and years of training!

Who was this woman?

Marian beamed placing her hands on her hips; "That should help out the village." Bethany only sighed but found her elder sister's smile infectious and did the same. Soon the sisters went to pick up the fruits and placed them into two large weaver baskets.

That explained why they were wary of Thedosian Templars, Sofie mentally mused. Wouldn't matter how beneficial this type of magic was, this Marian and possibly Bethany would be locked away in a Circle. The thought made Sofie quietly snarl before she resumed her sojourn, leaving the sisters to their devices.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

A large windmill jostled by the breeze as Sofie came out of the forest and saw a modest sized farming village beside the Imperial Highway. A simple post and rail fence outlined the area with corn growing on one side and potatoes on the other. There were at least a dozen houses or less than that with a chantry and pub to complete it. Overall a small village that was currently cramped with an assortment of people wandering about.

The tents she could see in the front area of the village were already a bad sign. They weren't many, but Sofie had reminded herself she had yet to look further into the village. Given that the short haired one of the sisters had gone through the trouble and risk of growing so many trees as to feed the refugees meant there were a lot more people Sofie couldn't see at the moment.

What caught her attention was the sight of a giant of a man bound in a large square cell. He was physically imposing, a bit taller than the average nord but not as tall as an altmer. Impressively broad and muscular, his skin was almost bronze in color, his bare chest decorated with multiple stripes of body paint that followed intricate patterns. His hair was white and braided, and possessed two stern violet eyes. The strong features of his face locked in a perpetual frown. Overall he must have looked quite intimidating for most people here.

Said violet eyes followed her as she walked into the village, she met his gaze unflinchingly for a moment. "Nice day isn't it?" She casually said.

The large man grunted in reply, breaking their eye contact, seemingly finding it more preferable to stare at nothingness from the confinement of his cell.

Hmph, well the big guy wasn't interested in talking. Sofie shrugged as she continued, her eyes settling on the people at her right, there were multiple individuals, mostly humans, and a few elves, which showed obvious signs of tragedy having struck them. The solemn and grief stricken faces, the air of desperation due to their current situation. Sofie knew faces like those all too well; she hoped never to see them again...

She had never forgotten those days were her stomach ached from hunger and the cold that chilled her to the bone. How her Nordic brethren ignored her, and how some of the Dunmer in the Grey Quarter and Argonians at the docks cared for her when they could.

And she remembered her late father who proudly supported Ulfric and his rebellion...

Sofie shook away those dark thoughts as she gazed at the village. She shifted her eyes back to the man in cage who started reciting some prayer in a strange language. Gazing back ahead she strolled into Lothering.

Coming into the village proper she saw more tents and the mood somber with people and families keeping to themselves. At the pub she saw quite a few individuals drowning their sorrows outside or passed out from drinking.

Crossing a small stone arch bridge she finally saw the other half of the village, and things looked just as bleak. Besides refugees and residents Sofie saw Templars patrolling the village. Likely trying to keep the peace as best they could. But their numbers were small.

She let out a soft breath through her nostril, resting her hands on her hips as she stared at the village that was clearly not going through the best of times right now. Once upon a time, Sofie felt small and impotent at the face of such circumstances, unable to do anything.

But that was decades ago, Sofie was an adult woman, a very resourceful and driven one. She could not and would not stay idle.

Walking towards the Chantry, the made a soft sound of satisfaction upon finding what she was looking for. A notice board, now doubt there were petitions from the people here who needed some help.

...Make that a lot of help. Good grief there was a lot of papers from people requesting aid. From trouble with the local wildlife to rations and other resources being scarce. Perhaps she could start with something simple, bears and giant spiders would be no trouble for her.

"Glad to someone is considering helping at least" The muffled voice of a Templar who stood next to the board and the entrance to the Chantry voiced. "We've stretched thin as it is. Not helped by the fact the bann took his soldiers to fight at Ostagar"

"So..." Sofie slowly spoke; "It's only your group looking after everyone?"

"Yes ma'am. Ser Bryant, our commander, is doing what he can along with the Revered Mother and sisters, but we can only do so much." The Templar sighed heavily; "We need help."

Sofie gazed back at the board; "What needs to be done right now?"

"Right now we have Highwaymen praying on the villagers and refugees at the Imperial Highway. But they'll outnumber you; it would be your death if you faced them."

At that the Nordic woman snorted with a grin; "I'll be back in ten minutes." And to the Templar's surprise she was headed in the direction of the Highwaymen! He called out to her but she was not be swayed as she marched forward.

"Maker keep her safe," he muttered as he ran back for the Chantry.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

The moment she ascended the steps of the Imperial Highway did Sofie had gotten a good look at the highwaymen, there were only five of them. They were all sitting around broken down wagons and scavenging what they could off of crates. They were relatively well armed for bandits, leather armor that looked to be of decent enough quality, most likely having been looted from other people. Two of them had crossbows, Sofie made note to keep an eye of them. One had two axes on his back, another large warhammer, and yet another had a sword and a wooden buckler shield.

The one with a sword and shield noticed her; he smiled in a smarmy way that made her want to punch him in the face. He had a dark tanned skin and a closely shaved beard. "Wake up gentlemen, we're in the presence of a lady" He soon took notice of her stature, if that intimidated him he didn't let it show. "And a big one at that"

The crossbowmen took their positions, distancing themselves a bit, while the man with a warhammer and the other with axes approached. The former had dark hair and beard, while the latter had a dumb face. "I dunno boss" Oh, he not only looked dumb, he sounded dumb too. "Maybe we let this one pass" At least he had enough common sense to know they were getting into something way above their heads.

His leader, not so much, "Nonsense!" He waved it off. "Everybody pays the toll!" The cheerfulness in his voice just pissed her off so much. Like he felt no pity, not sympathy, nothing for the people he robbed and killed. All he cared was how much coin there was in his pocket.

Sofie hated bandits like him, they disgusted her so much. Her fist slowly tightened.

"But for you my lady we'll make a special offer!" He spoke like a shopkeeper. "How about only two sov-"

It was at that moment that Sofie had enough and struck. She had reached behind her back with blinding speed and pulled out her great-sword, bringing it down upon him with a speed he could barely keep up with. The metal easily cut through leather, flesh and bone, bisecting him from shoulder to stomach.

His companions cried out in horror and shock, while the lead highwaymen could only sputter as blood leaked from his mouth. In between the pain and sudden loss of sensation on his arms, he could only stare at how there was now a wedge between his neck and arm, going all the way down to his midsection, having cut through a lung, his stomach, and into his intestines.

Soon with loud splat the lead highwayman's upper-half slid hitting the ground with the remaining half followed collapsing forward. Sofie did not wait for the rest to prepare themselves dashing towards the idiot highwayman. Her body moved like a saber cat as she spun a full spin held her great-sword in one hand effortlessly. The idiot highwayman's expression was that fear as his remaining comrades saw a flash of light and the man's head and body severed from one another.

Sofie's blue orbs shone like a dragon's as she charged for the last three.

The crossbow wielders, desperate and frightened, struggled to load a bolt unto their weapons. The right one's fingers fumbled as the bolt cluttered to the ground, while the left bandit managed to load his, take aim and shoot. The projectile harmlessly bounded off from the steel on her shoulder pad.

With a quick skip, she closed the distance and kicked one of the two crossbowmen so hard he went flying back and into the ground. She twisted the great-sword in her hand, holding it on a reverse grip as the stabbed the other bandit in the chest with while she had her back turned to him.

The bandit with warhammer charged at her with a battle cry, hefting his large weapon and brought it down on her, seeking to reduce her head to a pulp.

Her hand lashed out like a striking snake, grabbing the upper part of the haft with her bare hand, stopping any momentum the weapon had in its tracks.

The bandit could only gulp in fear, the weapon seemingly stuck in her grasp. He trembled as those fierce some eyes stared directly into his soul, like the Maker himself was glaring down on him, judging him, and had found him wanting.

Sofie pried the weapon away from his grip with a tug, and swatted the hammer across face with a swift movement, hearing his neck snapping and his jaw cracking before he fell to the floor lifeless. She casually tossed the warhammer aside and gazed at the remaining bandit, the one she had kicked onto the floor.

He was crawling over the ground to get away from her, hastily getting up and nearly tripping in his desperation to run away. Sofie considered perusing him, but soon declined that idea. He was not worth the effort.

It was then she noticed one of that dumb bandit's axes. In no hurry, she walked over to his headless corpse and picked up one of the axes, twirling it around in her grip and testing its weight. She looked back at the escaping bandit and lifted the axe. The bandit, even amidst the fear and horror to the massacre of his comrades, felt a twinge of relief along with the rising hope that he would make it out of this alive the moment he realized she was not chasing him.

Only for a flying twirling axe to soar through the air and bury itself deep into his back.

Nodding to herself she turned her attention back to the other axe in her hand. This was far too well made to have belonged to that idiot for long. Likely stole it off a poor soul they murdered. The wooden handle was slightly curved with leather wrapping; the metal for the axe itself was of no type she had ever seen before. Simple but perfect by design, someone made these axes with care like a true smith. Her mother would be impressed.

Her gaze shifted over to the last bandit she killed who ran off.

Waste not what not as her mother always said.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

The chantry door swung open as the helmeted Templar ran alongside his commander Ser Bryant, a handsome tanned skinned man who did not wear a Templar helmet as his raven shoulder-length hair moved in the wind. His strong black eyes gazed at the Imperial Highway.

"She went alone?"

"Yes, commander!"

"By the Maker..." Regardless how good a warrior you were those Highwaymen weren't rank amateurs.

The only reason why he hadn't sent his men to take care of them was because there were only a handful of Templars in the village. If something were to happen to them then Lothering would be even more vulnerable than it already was, and they had enough problems as it was, and the bandits had taken advantage of that...

Ser Bryant grew ashamed as his fist shook in impotent rage. How could he call himself a Templar if he just allowed those honorless curs to act as they pleased. Now one single woman had chosen to face them while they stayed their hands.

This would not stand. Ser Bryant was about to order his men to ready themselves, they weren't going to tolerate those bastards any longer.

But it was at that moment that a very tall woman walked towards them, powerfully built, long dark hair with braids at the side of her face, strong blue eyes. She wore a plated armor of fine shining steel decorated with multiple engravings, fur lined gauntlets and greaves protected her limbs, with a great-sword strapped to her back and two axes hanging from her waist.

"That's her, sir" His subordinate informed him.

"Problem solved" The woman said with a smile, "The bandits won't be threatening the people any longer"

"You..." Ser Bryant's eyes widened in surprise, and he could feel his subordinate doing the same. "You killed them, by yourself?"

"They were hardly a challenge!" The woman barked a laugh.

"Then we're indebted to you" The lead Templar said with gratitude as he placed a hand to his plated chest. "I am Ser Bryant, I lead the Templars here. Please, allow me to reward you for your efforts"

"No need" The woman waved off his offer, "I'm just glad the people are safe now"

"Truly, you are kind soul" It was not the Templar who replied, but another much more feminine voice, one laced with a very noticeable accent.

Wearing a chantry priestess robe stood a tall and very beautiful woman with short red hair with a single braid. Her pale olive skin was flawless with full red lips and a richer blue shade to her eyes than Sofie's. The woman was a lovely vision indeed, the nord regretted that she was a member of the cloth as she grew curious to what she must look like under those robes. "It's rare to see an Avvar this far south."

"Likely because I'm not Avvar." Sofie chuckled at the inquisitive looks from Bryant and the Chantry priestess and the few people around listening; "My name is Sofie Redoran, I am nord from the lands of Tamriel."

It came as no shock to as she saw both surprise and suspicion in their eyes. Price for announcing being a foreigner in a once formally occupied land by another foreign nation for who knows how long.

The priestess meanwhile looked curious at the statement, and Sofie had to admit that was quite the cute look in her eyes. "Truly? I have not heard of Tamriel before"

"It's across the ocean"

"Oh my" Now did the lovely redhead looked utterly intrigued, the lovely accent rolling off her tongue was almost musical. "That's fascinating, I would love to hear about your lands"

Sofie couldn't help but smile back, finding the priestess' cheerful demeanor to be contagious. "I believe we can arrange that. Miss..." She prompted the priestess to introduce herself with a wave of her hand.

"Leliana, it's a pleasure to meet you"

"Mine as well" The nord replied, "But first, I believe there is still much to be done in Lothering. Right?" She said to Ser Bryant.

The Templar sighed, "I'm afraid that's true. The bandits where just one of the problems. We're also lacking in supplies, wild animals drift too close to the village and put the people at risk."

"What kind of animals?"

Leliana gave the answer; "Bears. They haven't entered the village, but they are far too close for us to be comfortable."

An understanding nod came from the Nordic woman; "Which side of the village have they been seen?"

The helmet wearing Templar thumbed behind him; "Other side of Lothering at the forest... You're not going to-." Before he could finish Sofie began walking; "You're serious?!"

"I've fought and hunted a few bears back home." Sofie spoke as she walked away from the three; "they may actually prove a better fight than those highwaymen."

Who in their right mind is excited to fight bears just after slaying bandits? That was the thought between Ser Bryant and Leliana as they watched the foreign woman leave.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

To say that Lothering had seen better days would be an understatement. Leliana's heart went to the families who lost it all with the ever growing advance of the Darkspawn horde, an air of fear and dread permeated the air at the thought of the monsters breaking through army at Ostagar to continue their unending campaign of slaughter and destruction. She wished there could be a way for her to dissuade their fears, but all Leliana could do was have faith and pray, for the soldiers who bravely fought for them in the south, and for the people who had lost their homes.

Lothering was not the refuge many thought it'd be, problem after problem kept piling up, increasing the tension amongst both villagers and refugees. First it was the highwaymen, thankfully taken care of at long last. But then it was the wild animals. The diminishing food supply and resources, the hungry that couldn't be fed, the wounded and sick that couldn't be treated.

The presence of a certain qunari trapped in the cage so close to them did not put people at ease, they all still remembered his crime very well...

The lay-sister damped a bandage in the pot of hot water before placing it on the forehead of a man who laid on the ground over a blanket. If they had more herbs they could ease the fever, but it was dangerous with the giant spiders and bears making their home close to the place where the herbs they needed would usually grow on.

"Leliana" Elder Miriam spoke, "Can you help me mix the poultice?"

The redhead's eyes softly frowned in concern, "Do we even have enough elfroot?"

The elderly woman sighed dejectedly, "This will be the last batch for now I'm afraid..."

Oh sweet Andraste. Leliana massaged the bridge of her nose, things were getting worse every day.

"Chin up girl" Bless the woman, elder Miriam still had optimism left in her. "Mayhaps that lady who arrived today can help us"

At the mention of the brave warrior, Leliana too felt her spirits lit up a bit. "She did take care of the bandits. We could ask her to help us gather herbs later. Once she returns from her current quest"

"Oh right" Miriam frowned in concern. "Those bears are no joke, I've seen beasts like that shrug off arrows and tear men apart. Truly, with all the creatures that roam the world, it says a lot that many hunters are hesitant to pursue them" She leaned in closer, "I even heard stories about giant bears that can be three times larger than even the most grizzly of their kin"

Oh Leliana was very familiar with such stories. Still, she had confidence in the newcomer. "Not to worry Miriam, I'm sure she... she will..." Her voice slowly lost her strength, her blue eyes widening in surprise.

Gasps and mutters of awe soon filled the camp, people nearby pointed in disbelief towards the northern area. Elder Miriam was confused as to what was causing such commotion, and only when she turned around did she fully understand.

Walking into town was the newcomer, the warrior woman in plated steel, slightly hunched over as she dragged a large furry creature by one of its hind legs. The lifeless corpse of the bear rasped against the ground, leaving a trail of blood leaking from the deep wound on its head.

She stopped right next to the wounded's camp, letting go of the bear's paw unceremoniously. She cranked her neck, popping her joints. "Scrappy little fella he was" Sofie casually said. "Figured the people here would like some meat. And you can make good use out its fur"

The people surrounding her could only look slack jawed.

She pointed back with her thumb, "Hang on for a second, got a couple more I killed. Be right back" And left the town to go retrieve the other two bears.

Leliana and the village elder watched Sofie depart as she whistled a tune as she wiped the blood off her sword. Miriam slowly shifted her gaze to the stunned young lay-sister; "Did that girl take down a sleuth of bears?"

A trance-like nod came from the redhead "Par le Createur," Leliana whispered quietly in Orlesian.

Who was this woman? Not only has she dealt with the bandits and bears, but also solved the shortage of food and furs which could be used as much needed blankets at the same time, never mind the items the bandits horded were now taken back by the village. Large problems that were crippling Lothering's resources were taken care of in half of a day!

Awe and curiosity grew more within the lay-sister as several people begun to work on the first bear carcass brought to them. Maybe this was the Maker's hand at work.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

The moons rose into the sky as Sofie set up her tent outside the village. While offered a place to rest within Lothering she politely refused. Stating that someone in dire straits would need it more. Thus she simply requested for tent equipment.

Starting a small fire as she began to cook a slice of bear meat. Sofie let out a sigh as she gazed up towards the sky. Though glanced to the cage beside her tent with the Qunari as Leliana had explained what this man was. Said man sat in a meditative position in his cell.

Honestly, the unnaturally quiet demeanor was starting to get on her nerves. "So, big guy" She prompted, watching as the bear meat was just about to reach the optimal point in the fire. "Why are you in that cage?"

"I'm a prisoner" He replied in calm annoyance.

Sofie snorted, "I can see that. What I mean is, what did you do to get into that cage?"

"I slaughtered a family, including the children"

Her fingers which were about to grab a hold of the meat stopped momentarily at his blunt declaration. Her thoughts raced at the possibilities of why he had committed such a horrible thing. She looked at him, noting from his height and bulky frame that his strength had to be formidable. "...Hmph. They must have had trouble caging you" His face was too guarded, he betrayed no emotion.

"I caged myself, a weak mind is too dangerous"

Well now... She did not expect that. "A weak mind" Sofie repeated, looking into the meaning of his words. "You killed them in blind rage" It was hard to picture, for a man who looked to be in such control over his own emotions to lose himself to berserker rage. He truly did not look like one of those type of warriors.

"I did" He admitted with the same bluntness.

"Do you regret it?"

"Does it matter?"

"Oh it matters a great deal"

The qunari grunted in reply.

Sofie shrugged as she took a bite off her roasted meat. "Haven't told me your name yet"

"In the Qun, we do not have names" He replied, much to her surprise. "We have titles, our roles, that is what defined us, that is who we are"

Ohhhh boy, the more she heard about this Qun the less she liked. Kind of sounded like something Jyggalag would approve of.

Sofie grunted; "Then may I know your title sir?"

The Qunari was quiet for a moment; "Sten of the Beresaad. Qunari Vanguard."

"Sofie Redoran of Tamriel." The Qunari said nothing save a lifted brow as the Nord spoke again. "So I'm guessing you're a scout?"

Sten only gave a nod as he closed his eyes and resumed meditation. At least till the woman brought up her previous question; "Do you regret killing that family." Opening his eyes to glance at Sofie he saw the woman's face was stern with her eyes hard as steel.

A long sigh came from the towering man; "Yes..."

Slowly her gaze softened. "Would you like some food then?"

"You would give food to a murderer?"

"If you did not have remorse for your crime I would have killed you myself and saved everyone here some grief. But your words were sincere. That sincerity tells me enough. So, would like some food and water Sten?"

"My kind can sustain itself without nutrition for days; we are not as fragile as yours"

She had to snort at that. Oh if only he knew. "I'm gonna leave this right next to you" Sofie said, placing a piece of meat and a water-skin within arm's reach of his cell.

Violet eyes looked at the offered food before narrowing with suspicion at the woman. "What is it that you want?" From his experiences, everyone in this confusing land always did something because they wanted to return.

"I want to show mercy and compassion to someone who is clearly too bullheaded to understand what it is" She replied, annoyance present in her voice. "Ain't need another reason beyond that"

"...You do not make sense" The qunari said with resignation. "You are fighter, yet apparently you consider yourself female"

"The breasts and other lady bits kind of point to that" Sofie sarcastically replied.

"That cannot be" Sten said with finality. "Women cannot be warriors. Warriors must be men"

Sofie was considering shoving the piece of meat down his throat until he died choking. But lady Mara wouldn't approve of harming an unarmed opponent like that...

"Oh really" She raised her voice with a faux cheer. "Then what if a woman among your people wants to be a warrior"

"Then he is considered a man, as it is proper" The qunari said it like that explained it all.

All it did was make the nord blink in confusion several times, tilting her head, "What?" Seeing as Sten remained quiet again Sofie shook her head; "No offense but you're people are very strange."

"A general consensus among many outside of Par Vollen and Seheron."

* * *

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

* * *

Dawn's light breached above the forest near Lothering. A soft groan came from Sofie as her eyes opened and found a pair fellow ocean blue eyes looking down at her. She blinked as they focused to see sister Leliana standing and leaning down to gaze at her with a soft smile on her lips.

"Do you make a habit of watching people sleep?" The Nordic woman asked with a mild yawn.

At that Leliana's cheeks turned red as she stood up straight. "I'm sorry, wasn't sure if I should wake you." Idly she glanced over towards Sten who was watching her silently. And noticed a water-skin inside his cage. She looked back to Sofie who sat up and stretched; "I was wondering if you'd like some breakfast at the tavern?"

Sofie groaned as she popped the stiff joints of her neck before fully standing up and doing the same for her arms and knuckles. Leliana had to crane up her head somewhat, being a tall woman herself she wasn't used to do so, but Maker this foreigner before her was something else in terms of stature and build.

Sofie grinned, "Sure. Can never say no to a pretty lady" Leliana chuckled awkwardly, "Heh, sorry. Shouldn't really be flirting with a member of the clergy" She didn't even know if they had chastity vows or something.

"I'm a lay-sister actually" Leliana's found herself correcting before she could stop her own mouth, "I don't have vows"

The look on Sofie's eyes was a touch... predatory. "Interesting" She nearly purred the word.

"Oh" Red cheeks complimented her red hair.

"Hah!" The warrior barked a laugh. "I'm just having fun, don't worry" She bent over, picking up her gear. Though Leliana doubted anyone in the village would even dare stealing from her after all she did. Then again, there was always that person who did something monumentally stupid. "You sure the tavern is well stacked? I regret to inform you I eat like a bull"

The redhead giggled, "Oh it's alright. The Hawke sisters have been doing a wonderful job with all those fruits they found, but I think the three bears worth of meat will still last for a bit"

Images flashed from the other day, Sofie grinned; "Those two are good people?"

Leliana gave a nod; "Well, I've only met Marian in passing. Bethany though comes to the Chantry sometimes, she is a dear, loves the stories I like to tell."

That made the Nordic woman grin before gesturing to the lay-sister who gave a nod and started walking. The qunari said nothing as the two passed by his cell.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

The tavern was a modest establishment with numerous tables and chairs, with an open second floor. At present the place was filled with all kinds of people either elf or human be either at one of the tables or sat on the floor. There was even a Blackstone Irregular liaison, the nord considered speaking with him later.

For Leliana and Sofie they sat at the bar were conversing while eating breakfast free of charge for Sofie's heroics yesterday. The entire town had felt a much needed ease with the highwaymen gone and fresh supply of food from her and the Hawke sisters.

Sofie found herself enjoying the company of the lay-sister greatly; there was something about her demeanor, talking always in a very engaging and captivating way. As if eloquence was her bread and butter. That her voice was very lovely to hear and she was easy on the eyes were a welcome bonus. Most of all Leliana had a good heart on her, always worrying about the people of Lothering. So she repaid her entertaining company with stories about her own adventures in the lands of Tamriel. Omitting certain things of course.

Of which she took with various degrees of disbelief and amusement. "Cat and lizard people, now I know you're pulling my leg"

"You believe me about the part where I take down the powerful skeleton of a necromancer" The nord deadpanned, "But you have trouble believing the existence of anthropomorphic animal folk"

"I will grant you magic is one of the many mysteries and wonders of the world" The redhead replied with a smile, "But it's the first time I hear about races such as the ones you describe"

Sofie rested her check on her knuckles, giving her a ribbing grin. "So, magic, flying fire breathing lizards, spirits and demons, that's all fine and good. But oh no! Different races that don't look like humans or elves, that's pushing it" She took a bite of her food; "I would love to see your reaction meeting Kharjo."

The redhead rolled her eyes in amusement as the topic of religion came up between them. Sofie listened to the reverence in Leliana's voice as she spoke fondly of the Maker and Chantry. She could tell the lay-sister was passionate about her faith. Excitedly the redhead asked of Tamriel's religious practices. The polytheism of the Nine Sofie noticed had gotten Leliana's attention, as well as a hint of worry.

Going into detail of the Gods from Akatosh to Mara did not make Leliana more comfortable, but she looked calmer; "I'm glad your Nine do not require human sacrifices at the very least."

Taking a drink from her mug, Sofie cocked her head; "Well there are some gods who do require that, but they are just as complicated as the Nine." Now going into the Daedric Princes caused Leliana to pale in hearing the likes of Mehrunes Dagon or especially Molag Bal who was pure evil in every way. Then rounding to Azura, which was a complicated matter for reasons in which Sofie left out. The nordic woman could tell the redhead was trying to keep an open mind and taking the open paganism of her country with a grain of salt.

"So" The nord prompted, "What are your plans for today?"

"Well elder Miriam still needs herbs, I'm going to gather some in a bit"

"Need some help?"

Leliana smiled, "Thank you, but I think you've done enough for Lothering"

"Hey I'll be the one to decide that" The nord stated, "I know how to brew potions"

The lay-sister quirked an eyebrow, "Are you familiar enough with Thedosian flora to know which are the herbs we need?"

Sofie smiled, "Just point me to the ones we need"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Elfroot was a green plant with blue tips; it had a rather pleasant musk, and was very much a universal ingredient on healing potions and poultice here in Thedas. Luckily for them it was found around the near in the farm at the village's edge. The nord reached down into her boot and pulled out a knife, idly handing it to the lay sister. "Here, you can cut them with this. I can just pluck the whole thing right off"

"Thanks" Leliana took a moment to observe the knife, "Hmm, very nice quality. Leather grip if your hands get sweaty" She tapped a fingernail on the edge, hearing the metallic ring. "Doesn't look like steel"

"It's called moonstone actually" Sofie as she knelt to the ground, grabbing one of the plants by the stern before blinking in surprise at the redhead. "You do know knives" She tilted her head, "In fact, back when skinning the bears yesterday; you sure knew what you were doing."

Leliana paled a bit, "I uh... I have experience"

The nord could tell there was more to it, but obviously Leliana wasn't comfortable with sharing it just yet, so she let it go.

They proceeded to gather the herbs in silence, Leliana cutting them from the base with Sofie ripping it right out of the ground. "You know, yesterday I killed a few giant spiders, in a cave just on the other side" The warrior said, trying to fill in the silence. She chuckled, "Oh mom just has a panic attack whenever she sees one"

Leliana smiled, "Good thing her daughter didn't inherited such fears" She pocketed a bundle of elfroot into a sack. She had spoken of her family in passing during their conversation in the tavern, mentioning how she was raised by two mothers and had two siblings. Apparently they had all traveled with her to Ferelden, but went on their separate ways to explore the land faster. "Are your siblings like you?"

"Like me?"

"Well, so... tall I mean" She chuckled a bit awkwardly.

Sofie laughed in reply, "That's a nord thing. And actually I'm the tallest one in the family. And one of the two that doesn't have pointy ears"

Leliana blinked in confusion; "I'm sorry?"

"I'm adopted" Sofie explained, "My mother and my siblings are elves, my other adopted mother is human"

"Oh," Leliana looked surprised.

A fond smile formed on Sofie's lips as they grabbed another Elfroot; "I couldn't ask for better parents or siblings. Even if my little sister Sarya drives us all mad." She snorted with a shake of her head. "My elven mother is named Miara, my other mother is a nord like me, and Serana is her name. She more or less stayed with us and mom and the two fell in love. Been my second mother even since. Oh, my brother's name is Oryrn; he's probably the sanest out of the five of us."

Leliana could hear the love in Sofie's voice as talked about her family. The redhead bit her lip not sure how to ask her next question; "And your birth parents?"

The lay-sister winced as she saw the smile become a thin line from the Nordic woman; "My mother died when I was very young. My father died during the Stormcloak rebellions and because of Ulfric Stormcloak."

The lay sister's gaze shifted between the herbs before her and the nord who continued on her task with much greater focus. Or perhaps anger would be more fitting? She was ripping them out very violently now.

She tried to ask as tactfully as possible, which was proving itself to be a harsh task. "Did that man kill him?"

"Might as well have" Though Sofie's voice was soft there was no denying the loathing in it. "Father was a Stormcloak soldier, he believed in Ulfric's rebellion, and died for it"

"It sounds to me your father choose to fight for what he believed in"

"He chose wrong" She said despondently. "The Stormcloaks lost because they didn't think what would happen had they won. Ulfric only cared for the _'true sons and daughters of Skyrim_ ', meaning; everyone who was a nord like them. He and his soldiers were too busy with the war they couldn't even track a serial killer who was haunting the night in Windhelm. And the elves that were kind enough to take care of me from time to time were living in squalor. Or the argonians who weren't even allowed into the city were freezing their tails off"

Leliana could see and hear the pain, anger, and hate in Sofie's eyes and voice. But these feelings were a numbing ache rather than burning like the wildfire it must have once been. She had moved on, at least enough to keep moving ahead with her life.

Perhaps it was best to change the subject; "Would you like to know of my own family?" A small nod came from the Nord; "I was born in Orlais, though my late mother, Oisine was Ferelden. She was in service to an Orlesian noblewoman, Lady Cecilie Vasseur."

"You're Orlesian?" Sofie honestly was not familiar with the accents of Thedas, so she couldn't associate Leliana's with Orlais. For that matter, it sounded terribly familiar to some accents in High Rock… in fact, how come the common tongue here was the same as in Tamriel?

Ugh, god shenanigans most likely.

"Have people bothered you being that?" The nord asked.

The redhead gently sighed; "I'd be lying if I said no. And I don't blame Ferelden to harbor anger since the Orlais occupation here was brutal. But I can say with pride Lady Cecilie was a kind and justly woman. My mother was proud to serve her, which was why she went to Orlais with Lady Cecilie after the rebellions."

"I never knew my father, mother remained unwed as she had me, a great scandal even if she was a servant, but Lady Cecilie was not bothered by the whispers and allowed me to be raised in her household... One day, my mother got sick and passed away. So Lady Cecilie raised me instead"

"I'm sorry" The nord said in sympathy.

"It's alright, we had a good life in Orlais, and mother would always tell me stories of her homeland. I'm grateful to Lady Cecilie, she took care of me when she could have sent me away" A soft smile graced her lips as she looked a small simple flower blooming near an elfroot. "Something I remember all too clearly is my mother's scent, she would keep dry wildflowers in the closet with her clothes. White wildflowers native to Ferelden but rare in Orlais, they had a very sweet scent. Andraste's Grace she called them"

Sofie asked, "Is that why you came to Ferelden, so you could be in your mother's land of birth?" It would be something she would do were she on Leliana's shoes.

"In a way" The lay sister said, "It's actually a touch... more complicated than that. But I am glad I found this place, I feel as though my purpose is here, doing the Maker's work"

Sofie had gotten a feeling there was more but she did not pry. Especially since both ladies barely knowing one another at present. The two continued gathering herbs with light conversation.

* * *

 **XxX ~ the following day ~ XxX**

* * *

As the afternoon sun shone in the sky Sofie kept within the shadows in the forest outside Lothering. Holding a decent dwarven made bow and quiver with arrows she had bought from a rather rude traveling merchant who stopped in the village to 'offer' help with overinflated prices. Thought after some 'friendly' persuasion (not scaring him to death like her mother would have) from Sofie he begrudgingly lowered the prices to something manageable for the villagers and refugees.

Now at present the Nordic woman went hunting for more meat and fur for the village. Ser Bryant had explained to her there was great deal of rams that grazed in the woods around village.

It did not take her long to come back with one ram draped over her shoulders while she dragged the other. The sight of her returning to the village with dead animals was becoming an increasingly common sight, one very much appreciated by the refugees and villagers. She nodded back at the smiling greetings she received; the people here had really warmed up to her. Well considering how not so long ago they had been plagued by a myriad of different problems, it was understandable they would be taken in by the helpful newcomer.

She dropped the dead beasts next to Elder Miriam in the medical camp, "These should make you some nice food and sheets"

"Oh, thank you so much my dear" The smile on the elderly woman's face vanished soon as she sniffed, "Ugh, don't be offended Sofie, but you are starting to reek"

The nord blinked and lifted an arm; she made a face when she felt what the other woman was feeling. "Yeah, guess I've been carrying too many dead animals"

"The lake is not far from here, just on the west" The elder pointed, "I would recommend the Chantry or the inn, but neither is really fitted for people to clean themselves at the moment"

Sofie nodded her gratitude, "Will be back in a bit" She left the village, turning left and passing the Qunari's cage. "Later Sten" The big man in question merely grunted in return.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

When Leliana had set out to look for Sofie, she had asked the qunari in his cage if he had seen her, he merely pointed west wordlessly. Well that had been more interaction she have had with the bronze giant than most people in the village had, with good reason everyone gave the giant of a man a wide berth.

Everyone but Sofie, but the lay sister was beginning to suspect the taller woman may be without fear. Or perhaps she was trying to understand the qunari more. Having confided in her that the Sten truly regretted his actions. Leliana hoped that the possibility to atone wouldn't be without his reach.

The lake was not exactly near but neither was it far from the village, indeed, Leliana and the other village women would often travel in groups to be safer as they bathed. Sofie could handle herself.

It did not take Leliana long to reach the lake, finding the nord's steel armor and weapons neatly piled up next to a tree. The sound of someone moving in the water entered her ears and she directed her sight on the bathing woman, opening her mouth to call to her... Only for her to be stopped in her tracks mesmerized.

Now, Leliana was someone intimately familiar with the bodies of men and women alike, from the strong and muscular warriors to the lean and perfectly shaped feminine forms. But Leliana could honestly say she had never taken the former and applied it to a woman. Oh she was aware women warriors often didn't look like the athletic rogues, she had seen a few in her time, but it was the first time she actually saw one possess such allure.

Sofie's body seemed crafted from the most pure stone used in statues. The feminine curves were there, but her frame was still impressively muscular and toned. As Sofie ran her fingers through her hair Leliana saw the biceps in her arms bulge and ripple, Maker they had to be bigger than her own legs. The curves of her midsection were complimented by the various visible and deeply cut abdominals. From what Leliana could see from the blurry shapes beneath the water, Sofie's legs were strong and shapely, leading to a tantalizing rump. Her lips went dry at the sight of her endowed bosom supported by strong chest muscles.

Her poetic tongue could only describe Sofie as though a master artist had drawn inspiration from the strength of a warrior's body and blended it to perfection with the beauty of the female form, and the result was the nord who looked like a goddess emerging from the water. The water falling from her naked body was simply...

"Hey there" Sofie greeted her with a smile.

Leliana's throat ached, suddenly feeling very dry. "Hi" Was all she managed to get out, willing herself to not sound too husky. "I came here for... for..." What did she need with Sofie again? Oh Maker she couldn't even remember.

The grin Sofie gave her made Leliana want to tug her collar, finding it too bothersome with the heat her own body was accumulating. "Maybe you'd like to join me~"

It took all of her strength to remain standing, oh the look and that voice, a deadly combination to use when she looked like a dream come true, naked and wet in the lake. Leliana was honestly not sure of what she was going to do. She couldn't even find her voice to actually reply, and feared looking like a fool with her jaw hanging open.

Her salvation came in the form of a naked blur that jumped straight into the lake dive-bombed and making a huge splash that wet her feet and the lower end of her robes.

Sofie grunted as she was fully splashed with Marian Hawke quickly rose and stood in the cool water letting out a relieved sigh. "Oh this feels good." She giggled as she noticed Leliana and the nordic woman Sofie who smirked at her. "Hello Leli! And you're Sofie yes, we haven't been introduced, Marian Hawke"

"Sofie Redoran," Her amusement shone in her voice as she gave Marian a look over. She had to say Hawke's figure was shaped rather perfectly like a gemstone. Toned legs, shapely hips, perfect breasts, Marian was a beautiful sight. "Needed a good bath too?"

"Not just me." Her blue eyes turned as her sister Bethany, had ran and stopped beside Leliana.

"You could have waited sister." Bethany groaned as she saw they weren't alone with Leliana gazing at her and that foreign woman Sofie who was in the water. "Oh hello. Came for a bath too?"

"I did," Sofie pointed to herself; "Not sure about Leliana. Did you need something?" Her eyes turned back to the lay-sister who blushed.

"I..." She really couldn't remember. Stupid sexy Sofie... Well, when in Ferelden. "I came to bath too actually" And begin disrobing, trying very much to ignore the appreciating look Sofie was giving her.

Soon, all four women were naked in the lake. Just a perfectly normal thing to do, no need to keep staring at the living dream of a woman, just... keep your eyes on the water Leli, she told herself.

Bethany helped scrubbing her sister's back. "Gotta tell you" The elder sister smiled widely. "That bear meat? Tastiest thing I've had in a while. Who knew something so fluffy and cute could taste so good"

"You've never faced a bear have you?" Sofie chuckled, scrapping her arm with a smooth stone. "They're not 'cute', they're savage killers who will tear you limb from limb if you're not careful"

"Meh, I could take one" Bethany rolled her eyes at her sister's words.

"Really?" Sofie laughed. "Think you've got what it takes"

"Oh you've never seen me in action my friend" She bragged

"Marian" Her sister hissed reproaching, much to Leliana's confusion.

"Don't believe me? These are the hands of a hardworking woman. I bet I could bring down a bear with my fists"

"Punching a bear" Sofie mused, "Believe it or not, I've seen that happen. But please, you're a bit too skinny for fighting an animal like that. Should focus on things more on your level... like roaches or grasshoppers"

"Ohohohoho" A dark smirk formed on Marian's lips. "You did not just say that. Careful, I can take you too"

"Really?" Leliana found the grin on Sofie's face both enticing and frightening. "Alright, try it" She tapped her rippling (stop it Leli) stomach, "Hit me here, as hard as you can"

Bethany only sighed as she rubbed her temple, while her elder sister (honestly Leliana wondered who was the elder sibling among the three of them) chuckled, popping her knuckles with glee. "Honestly sister..."

Marian ignored Bethany while Sofie stood with her arms behind her back smiling. Leliana breathed out a sigh watching both women; "Sorry in advance." The elder Hawke sister remarked with cheer.

Sofie shrugged as Hawke reared back her fist and struck a good clean punch in the center of The raven haired Nord's abs. Bethany and Leliana covered their ears as a loud shriek tore from Marian's mouth as she held the hand she struck Sofie with.

"Sorry was that a punch?" Amusement came from the tall woman; "Swore I felt a feather."

"ANDRASTE'S FLAMING TITS!" Marian cried out nursing her hand. She was certain she broke some bones; "WHAT ARE YOU MADE OUT OF, STEEL?!"

Absently as Leliana gazed at Sofie's abs she wondered why they felt like. The redhead quickly shook those thoughts aside. Stop fantasizing about her body! She let out a sigh as she sank further into the water. "You okay Leli?" Leliana sharply looked up at Sofie who looked back while Bethany was chiding her sister.

…Oh what was the point in resisting? Say something Leliana, compliment her figure, and tell her how outstanding she looks.

"U-Um... Your hair looks nice... without the braiding."

"Thank you"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

After the bath, Bethany and Marian returned home while Sofie went to care for her armor and weapons. Staring at the mirror inside her room in the Chantry, Leliana glared at herself; "Your hair looks nice..." THAT'S all she could muster? "Your hair looks NICE?!"

She had seduced people using nothing but limericks in the past, and this was the best she could do?!

Not... that she wanted to seduce Sofie. Sure, the warrior was brave, kind, so gentle and generous with the people here. The look on her face when she played with the children or how she would selflessly aid them without question made her heart flutter.

Leliana groaned into her hands, she was not helping herself.

It was just... attraction. Maker's sake she barely knew Sofie and Sofie barely knew her... What would Sofie even think of her were she to know of her past?

Well, a hopeful part of her mind said, by her attempts at communicating with qunari despite his crimes it was clear that Sofie was more accepting and willing to give people another chance. But another more cynically, or rather frightened, part of herself told her it was best not to get close. Sofie wouldn't remain in Lothering forever.

The thought made her feel sad of all sudden.

Letting herself fall down to bed, Leliana decided she couldn't perused this line of thought anymore. Instead hoping to find some rest in her sleep. Perhaps dream about something nice... Like Sofie's goddess like body-STOP IT!

Within a few minutes, her consciousness drifted away to the land of dreams.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

 _Her dreams were plagued with darkness._

 _Everywhere she looked; there was nothing but shadows and shapeless horrible things coming from it._

 _Nothing was spared, not the earth nor the sky. Everything was consumed._

 _Then, there was a noise._

 _An unholy sound that shook her soul to the core._

 _Leliana wanted to scream but she had no mouth, she wanted to run but she had no legs._

 _All she could do was sink, as the darkness swallowed the ground beneath and consumed her entirely, disappearing into the maw of the most profane beast._

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Leliana awoke with a gasp, drenched in sweat, her heart racing so hard she felt it might pop out of her chest.

Even with all the things she had done and experienced, this... this vaguely defined nightmare had inspired some sort of primal fear into her of the likes she's never known before.

It took her a few minutes to regain control of her breathing and for her heart to stop drumming against her chest. She thirstily gulped down the water in her basin and washed her face over, changing into a dry set of clothes. She couldn't remain here, though the darkness had passed its effects remained, she grew nervous even at the sight of the shadows in her room.

She breathed out in relief when she see stepped outside and saw the sun rising, its light chasing away the shadows. For a moment, she felt all was right in the world again.

Leliana needed something to calm her nerves, so she decided to go outside, check the flowers in the Chantry's garden as she always did. Even though the flowers managed to distract her it was only for the barest moments, her mind kept going back to the darkness, that unrelenting force that consumed it all.

Inevitably, she couldn't help but connect it with the recent events going on in the south.

Was this an omen of things to come? Was Ferelden fated to consumed by the Blight?

She let out a shuddering breath, the fear was almost too much to bear, she tried praying to the Maker but it helped her little.

Leliana paced around, ran her hands through her hair, feeling lost and desperate... When a spot of color caught her attention.

It did not belong to the usual flowers, instead it was in that old dried up bush that had been dead for so long, she saw a spot of red among the dry and dark plant.

Coming closer, she knelt down before it and found a rose. It didn't look like any species of roses she was familiar with, as its petals were too open, revealing a large puffy center. But its scent was just the same as any other rose.

It was just... here, growing strong even among this dead plant. It had found a way to grow full life.

Life... found a way.

Leliana understood it now; this had been a sign from the Maker. Though darkness and evil may encroach upon the world, there was always hope to be found, even among the desolation and death, a light would always shine to light the way.

She cradled the rose in her hands, "Thank you..." Leliana muttered in great relief. This simple thing had given her hope, one she would treasure.

* * *

 **XxX ~ several weeks later ~ XxX**

* * *

Waking up and standing from her tent Sofie groaned as her joints popped. A long sigh left her lips as she smiled over to the caged Qunari; "Good morning."

Sten glanced at her "Venak hol." He gave a slight nod.

A brow rose from the Nordic woman with a cocked head; "Is that better or worse than when you were calling me Bas?"

"Slightly better."

Slumping her head with a mild groan Sofie made her way into Lothering. It had been a week since she had spoken to her family and what they were doing in Ferelden. It sounded like everyone was having their own little adventure in these new lands. For the oldest daughter of Miara she had been the unspoken protector and hunter for Lothering. This had made the villagers and refugees eternally grateful.

These people needed it, the news they got from the south... they weren't good. The Darkspawn horde was growing in larger every day. Already some refugees were packing up and leaving towards the north, dreading that the monsters would break through the king's forces and rampage unopposed.

"Morning Sofie" The musical voice that had become very welcome said with cheer. As always Leliana looked radiant, seriously it was like that woman always woke up looking her very best, unlike most people.

"Morning" She greeted back, teasingly looking at Sten, "What do we say, Sten?"

The qunari grunted.

"Atta boy! Look at you, your manners are improving"

The stone-like face of the qunari did not shift a bit.

At this point, Leliana found the nord's antics with the white haired man were amusing, she giggled behind her hand. "Marian is going to help me knit some clothes for the refugees, would you like to help?"

"I don't know how to tell you this, but my skills involve stabbing living things, sometimes undead things too, not threat with thread to make clothes..."

"You can tan the rack" Leliana playfully suggest.

"Oh. I can do that"

The lay sister giggled once more before her attention was caught by the sight of a group of individuals. They sort of looked like a ragtag bunch, with elves and humans, wearing different types of armors, two of them even wearing robes and walking with staves. Mages she realized. And a Mabari?

"Seems we have visitors"

Sofie turned to see what she meant by that, and her eyes widened at the sight of two figures she recognized immediately. "Mother, Serana?" Her words completely caught Leliana off guard.

Miara sighed with smile as she came over and gave her surprised daughter a long hug. Confusion etched on her daughter's face but returned the hug nonetheless. As she let go, her mother gave her a weary grin; "How's my beautiful daughter?"

"..Fine?" Sofie glanced to Serana who waved. "What's going on?"

"That's bit of a story dear," the Nordic vampire grumbled with her hands resting on her hips. Hearing the clearing of a throat she looked behind her and back to Sofie; "Let's introduce you to these folks."

The Dunmer pointed as she spoke; "Marcus Cousland, his hound Loke - _Arf!_ \- Warden Commander Duncan, Gin Tabris, Neria Surana, and Brianna Amell. Everyone this my first child Sofie."

The human with noble features greeted her with a nod, "I've heard a lot about you"

"Andraste, what did you feed her?" The male elf of the party, Gin, muttered. "Entire cows?" Only for the dark tanned elven mage to nudge him with her elbow. The rest of the group greeted her one by one.

"It's a... pleasure" Sofie slowly said, "Um, this is Leliana"

"Hi" The lay sister nervously said, she did not expect to meet Sofie's mothers any time soon.

"Oh my" Miara smiled widely, looking at her up and down and making the redhead feel all the more uncomfortable. "You weren't exaggerating, lovely as a dream just like you said"

"Mom!" Sofie hissed embarrassed, for once Leliana saw a blush in her cheeks... not that it made her own any less red. She was so embarrassed she barely had time to wonder when and how had Sofie told her mother about her.

"Not bad, girl" Serana said approvingly.

The human mage Brianna laughed at the nord's expense, it was very amusing to see one so tall and powerfully built be embarrassed by their parents like that.

Miara's eldest grumbled before returning to the matter at hand, "Can you tell what exactly is going on?"

The dunmeri woman pursed her lips before sharing a look with Grey Warden, "Forgive us a moment Duncan, but Serana and I really need to talk to her"

The Warden Commander nodded, "Very well, we will rest for a bit, but we must continue our trek to Ostagar soon" With that, he took his Warden recruits with Marcus and Loke with him to the inn.

Miara and Serana gave a look to the qunari at the cage, finally acknowledging his presence before turning to Leliana. "Excuse us for a moment my dear" The dunmer in disguise said as she pulled her daughter away to discuss things privately.

What felt like thirty very long and uncomfortable minutes of Leliana standing beside Sten's cage. She saw the Sofie, who looked very angry beside her mothers coming back from around the windmill. "Something wrong?"

At that Miara sighed; "More than you know my dear. Something extremely dire happened at Highever and we need to speak with your country's king about it at Ostagar."

"It's that important?"

Serana gave a grave nod before she turned to Sofie; "You sure you want to come with us?"

At those words Leliana froze, Sofie was leaving?

"News keeps coming in from the south, and I'll feel better fighting beside you and mom."

Miara bit her lip, every maternal instinct within her was screaming to tell her daughter to remain in Lothering. But she knew that look from her daughter, cause it was the same one she would have. But still, "Sofie..."

"I'm coming with you mother, yes it's dangerous but I can't just stand here watching both my mothers go off to a highly dangerous area when I know I can help." The young Nordic woman spoke with steely determination.

"We're not exactly weaklings, hun" Serana snorted.

Sofie only glared as Miara soon caved in; "Alright..." Giving a nod in return she went for her tent to grab her things.

All Leliana could do was to stand there, unsure on how to react or even how to feel at the moment. Of course, she was saddened by Sofie's departure, but most of all she was worried for her safety. She was reminded of her nightmare once again... But Sofie was strong and determined, and she wouldn't be alone. The former bard took comfort in knowing that.

She just wished she had more time to spend with her.

"So!" The cheerful exclamation of the elven woman had quickly reminded Leliana that she wasn't alone. "You're a friend of my daughter I see"

Serana looked up and down at her with a mischievous glint in her eyes, and the redhead felt like she was cornered by two dangerous beasts.

After what felt like an endless string of questions and teases, Sofie arrived with all her gear and supplies, finding a very red faced Leliana and her mothers smiling widely.

"Oh Sofie I adore this one" Her mother said with approval, "She's just a treat"

"Thanks mom!" Sofie said through clenched teeth, taking Leliana by the arm and pulling her away so the two could talk privately. The nord sighed, rubbing her eyes. "So sorry about that"

"It was... an experience" That was one way to call it. "They're lovely women, you're lucky to have them as your mothers"

At that, Sofie could only smile fondly, "I do" Her smile soon dwindled, "I'm going to Ostagar Leliana, I'd rather face the monsters to make sure they won't come here"

"I know" Leliana spoke solemnly. "You have done so much for Lothering, I… we will miss you"

"Hey now" Sofie placed a hand on the redhead's shoulder. "It'll be alright, those Darkspawn won't know what hit them"

Leliana smiled, feeling inclined to believe her. "I know you will"

"Buuuuut" A teasing grin came from the nord, "Maybe I could use a kiss for good luck" She chuckled, it had been a rather amusing pastime of her to tease the lay-sister, the adorable flustered look on her face when-

Before she knew it, two delightfully soft lips planted themselves on her cheek.

Sofie blinked once, then twice, staring at Leliana's shy smile. Oh that was just not fair.

"I um… I gotta go now" Why the hell was she nervous?! Regain. Some. CONFIDENCE. "Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it" There, better.

"I know you will" Leliana said with absolute certainty.

…She really had to leave before she started having second thoughts.

Giving one last smile to the redhead, she nodded in goodbye, Leliana watching her with apprehension. She would pray for Sofie every day.

Sofie let out an explosive sigh as she returned to Serana and Miara... who bore two very wide and knowing smiles.

"Don't" The eldest daughter warned them, "Say. A word"

"Of course" Miara smugly said, she really didn't have to. Much to Sofie's chagrin. "Come on, the others are waiting" She nodded to the group who was coming out of the inn.

It was then that Marian passed them by, holding a basket full of apples, the eldest of the Hawke siblings did a double take upon seeing Sofie marching with a group of strangers. "Sofie, are you leaving?"

"We're going to Ostagar" The nord replied over her shoulder, "Wish us luck!"

"You got it. Oh! If you see my brother Carver tell him I said hi! He's about this height, looks like a dumb ass!"

Sofie barked a laugh, "I will!"

Miara kept looking at the human woman even as they went their separate directions, her expression shifting to a confused frown. "Everything okay?" Serana asked upon noticing.

"She felt a bit…" The dunmer in disguise shook her head. "Hmm, probably nothing"

The vampire shrugged, "Come on, onward to the battlefield" She deadpanned. "Again"

"…This is gonna suck isn't it?" Sofie droned.

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 ** _The how Miara and Serana met with Duncan and the others will be covered in another chapter, as we're doing this in perspectives for these first chapters as you saw._**

 _ **If anyone needs a better description of Sofie's figure we based if off Cammy White from Street Fighter.**  
_

 **For those who wish to be in the know:**

 **Next; Naruto: Shoton of Konoha "Two Chapters'**

 **Then back to; Dragon Age Origins: Dovahkiin 'Two chapters'**

 **Anbu Sennin: A Final fantasy VII story 'chapter' will be made in-between**


	9. Greetings from House Telvanni

**Disclaimer** : We do not own Dragon Age Origins or the Elder Scrolls Series

 **Co-author and Beta** : Etheral-23

 **Greetings from House Telvanni**

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Sarya couldn't imagine a better way to spend her time. Book in hand as she traversed through unknown, uncovering the mysteries of places unknown and studying the arcane matter of creation itself. Ever since young she had this thirst for knowledge, the need to understand. Understand the world, its laws, what made it work. The how and why of all events in the cosmos.

Such was that drive it had led her to study with some of the greatest Telvanni mages, learning the oldest lore and the most complex magics. Even the power to traverse to the realms of Oblivion and beyond, following in the steps of the famed Divayth Fyr, was hers to command.

No door was locked for the youngest daughter of Miara, no realm, no possibility, was beyond her reach. She would brave the darkest and most obscure worlds, and even brave through the blindingly bright and dangerous, all in her never ending quest to see and understand it all...

So of course right now she was kneeling on the dirt picking up plants.

"Hmm" She mused as she chewed on the green blue-tipped leaf. Opening the Thedosian botany book she got at the Wonders of Thedas, comparing the information there on elfroot with her own analysis. "Health restoring properties, so that checks." She rolled the now pasty leaf in her mouth. "Bit of stamina regeneration too, but not really noteworthy"

Let it never be said Sarya considered some knowledge to be 'beneath her'. The importance of the alchemical properties should never be underestimated. The thought of experimenting entire species of flora from another continent enticed her scholarly mind; this Brecilian Forest was just ripe with opportunity.

Having left the Imperial Highway hours ago, the young Telvanni mage wandered into the forest where it was said the Dalish Elves were currently residing. As important as it was to meet her distant daeruhn, her academic mind had been in motion since leaving Denerim reading the books she had bought. Unless sleeping at her camp or bathing in a river she had her head in a book studying all she could of this unknown continent.

And the dark elf was quite impressed with how extensive the alchemical arts were taken seriously here. From this elfroot to blood lotus and deep mushroom, all had very detailed pages and drawings of each item in question. What also sparked her immense curiosity was the substance called lyrium. She had also bought several potions for study, and while she would prefer a raw sample, sadly this substance was said to be dangerous and toxic. Never mind the Dwarves kept a tight hold on it given they were the main distributors of it.

So at the moment she roamed through the beautiful forest inspecting what plants were shown in her book.

There were other things she could be doing of course, the thought of meeting with the clandestine Mages' Collective to acquire more information on the Circle of Mages piqued her curiosity immensely. But she had agreed with her family to split, and her route took her away from Denerim. Well, she hoped the letter she left at their secret cache would make their way to them eventually.

The nature of this 'Fade' was an oddity for her. Aetherius' connections felt week enough as it was, the thought of a non-aetherial realm having such a strong bond with mortal lands was fascinating. If a touch worrisome, for that carried dangerous implications on the nature of Thedas. And the Chantry books, which she suspected were heavily biased and censored, were not of much help...

Perhaps she would eventually run into someone who clear up some doubts on the Fade, a hedge mage or-

Her ears twitched as they caught the faint noise of a branch breaking.

"Hmm?" She turned her head in curiosity. This was a forest after all; it must be an animal... or bandits. Acting out of habit, she casted Detect Life, and the pulsing heart-like signature of three humanoid lifeforms shined before her eye, sneaking through the trees. "If you're friendly I promise I won't harm you" She loudly spoke, "If you're not friendly, well, you're toast I'm afraid"

From within the foliage emerged three elves, all wearing leather armor with distinctive symbols and iconography that was tribalistic in nature. One of the most notable traits was that they all had paint on their faces. Ahhh, so these were the dalish elves.

One was a woman with short fair hair combed back, her armor allowing for more mobility at the expense of less protection. Another was a man; his fair hair was of a slightly darker shade, his armor covering more of his body. The last one didn't have the light skin tone of his companions, but a much darker complexion, his hair was dark with multiple braids, and his body was much more muscular while still being somewhat slim. They were all carrying bows and arrows on their backs, with either daggers or swords at their waists.

"Oh!" Sarya's ears perked up as she smiled. "Hi there!"

They did not seem to return the amicable greeting. "This is a dangerous place for you to be in alone, flat-ear" The woman spoke back.

"Flat-ear," a drone came from the Telvanni mage. Was supposed to be an insult? Oh she has heard worse names in Skyrim by drunkards. "If you're trying to insult someone make up a more impactful word or swear word. You will most definitely gain a reaction out of that."

The two male elves look at one another; "Is she trying to educate on how to insult people better?" The short haired elven man asked getting a shrug from the other. "Um, did you come to join the Dalish?"

"Tamlen," The female Dalish quickly chided.

"Never hurts to ask Mithra."

Sarya thought for a moment before getting to her feet; "No I have not come to join you, but I have come to meet you. It's a learning experience when two different cultures meet for the first time after-all."

"Different cultures?" The elven man beside Tamlen spoke up; "You a foreigner or just fell on your head?"

"Oh, right!" Sarya pointed at herself; "It's probably best to show you what a cousin from Tamriel actually looks like."

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It was not just the echoing shouting that alerted Zathrian and Marethari, but also a brief yet undoubtedly powerful burst of magical energy. It came from the direction in which three of their hunters had been sent to scout, which immediately put them on alert. They told their Firsts to stay with the clan and wait for them; they would handle this situation themselves. Two Keepers, wise in years (many in Zathrian's case) and powerful in magic, few opponents could stand before them.

Zathrian wore a look of cold determination, his robes decorated with the pelt of a white wolf, with his chest and shoulder pieces reinforced by multiple stripes of hardened leather. The upper part of his staff shined brightly with the lyrium infused on it. While Marethari's form fitting robes possessed more nature based aesthetics, namely that of trees, were decorated with the feathers of ravens in the shoulders, and ironbark pieces covering different parts of her collar and right shoulder, arm and leg bracers. Her own staff carved into the intricate shape of a hunched dragon.

Looking at them, one would not expect Zathrian to be the older of the two, given Marethari's wizened features and gray hair.

They raced through the trees with ease born from experience, moving in between them like no human grown in the cities could. They expected their hunters to have run into something like bandits, or perhaps one of those rogue mages from the Circles. Or Gods forbid; they had actually found a hostile spirit in the woods...

What they found was... different.

Mithra, Tamlen and Theron kept shooting arrows over and over to an elf-looking figure that could in no way be an actual elf. Beyond the intricate robes she wore, the only thing that got their attention was the gray skin and red eyes. The being looked annoyed as she kept up a barrier that blocked the hunters' shots with no trouble.

"Is this how you treat fellow elves?!" She cried out.

"Elves aren't Grey skinned with red eyes demon!" Mithra yelled back.

"Demon... Oh I'd love to see your reaction to the rest of our kin back home honey! How about leaving the forest for a while and expand your scope of understanding! And maybe actually get smart!"

"Will shut up and die, go back to the Beyond!"

"Never been there!" Sarya let out a disgruntled sigh as she crossed her arms; "Eventually you're going to run out of arrows, can we talk sensibly then?!"

Theron growled; "I've never seen such power from a demon before!"

"That's because I'm not a demon your idiot! I'm a Dunmeri Telvanni mage!" Sarya snapped back as Zathrian and Marethari landed to the ground; "Oh goodie, are you here to reason with those three morons here?! Or have you come to attack your distant cousin too!?"

The shouting and confusion was wearing the male Keeper's patience thin, he struck the ground with his hand, sending a pulse of magic as he shouted with command in his voice. "Enough!"

The hunters ceased in their assault, staring with apprehension at both their Keepers and the newcomer. Sarya for her part tilted her head curiously, hoping at least someone was willing to listen.

"All this shouting isn't helping, so instead of acting like Shems who attack everything that is different on sight, you should act like mature adults!" He spoke with reproach, making the younger elves wince at his disapproving glare. He sighed, running a hand over his bald head as he pointed his staff at the gray woman, "This, I suspect, is not a demon" He said, much to the surprise of the others.

"But... look at her!" Tamlen waved his hand at the other 'elf' who merely glared at him.

"Appearances of demons can be deceiving yes" Marethari agreed, taking a step forward, showing no sign of hostility to the woman. "But so can that of mortals" She stood a few feet away from her, a barrier still separating them, looking up and down at the woman. "What is your name?"

"Well, finally, someone with manners" Came the exasperated reply, followed by a small curtsy. "My name is Sarya Redoran, honorary mage of House Telvanni"

The Sabrae Keeper rubbed her chin in thought, "Well, you don't feel like a demon. Your essence is too corporeal, but there is something... strange about you. And I don't mean just your looks"

A brow rose from the dunmer; "Are you mage yourself?"

"I am; my name is Marethari Talas. Keeper of the Sabrae Dalish clan. This is Keeper Zathrian of Clan Orava." The elderly Elven woman gestured to the bald elven man who came beside Talas.

"Your magic feels... strange," Zathrian commented as he gazed at the barrier. "I am unsure how to describe it."

That was a troubling to Sarya. And was further cementing her possible theory on why magic was so different here. It was not coming from the immortal plane of the gods.

"I believe it's because I am not from here, Thedas I mean" The grey skinned elf explained, much to their surprise. "I hail from the lands of Tamriel, far beyond to the east across the sea"

"What?" The huntress Mithra exclaimed in shock, her follow hunters exchanged looks of bafflement "That is... impossible"

"Nope" Sarya corrected with a bright smile, "The word you're looking for is 'improbable'. But alas, I can dispel any and all of your doubts" She waved a hand at herself, "My kind are called the dunmer, or Dark Elves as we are known. The gray skin and red eyes? It's our natural looks. There are many elves just as varied and different from each where I come from"

Her words sent waves of disbelief and astonishment to the thedosian elves. The Keepers were looking at with both disbelief and fascination, while the hunters seemed conflicted on the whole affair.

"Marethari" Zathrian called to her fellow Keeper, "A word?"

They moved a few paces away, discussing in hushed tones something none of the other elves could discern. The three hunters looked at the 'dunmer' (who still had not put down her barrier); this one tilted her head at them. They couldn't lie, those red eyes of hers coupled with her very outlandish look was still intimidating and fearsome.

"I've yet to hear an apology from you lot" She droned.

And the fear was replaced with irritation. The dark haired elf, Theron, let out a long sigh, "We... apologize we acted too rashly"

"Good. Now say it like you're not swallowing a snail and I'll accept it"

Tamlen held his friend by the shoulder as this one growled and took a threatening step towards the red eyed elf.

Fortunately, at the moment the two Keepers returned.

Zathrian began, "I believe we owe you an apology for how our hunters behaved. And so we would like to make a proposition to you"

"Is that so?"

"Yes" Marethari took over, "If what you say is true then our meeting here holds a significance of proportions I can't even begin to express. A whole other continent where elven kind lives, the things we could learn from each other" She said with eager fascination.

"Which is why" Zathrian continued with a gentle smile, "we would like to invite you to spend some time with our clans"

Sarya gave the hunters a glance before dispelling her barrier she gave a respectful bow; "I would be honored. This was the reason I came to this forest. Meeting fellow daeruhn, learning and exchanging our cultures."

"Daeruhn?" Keeper Marethari cocked her head curiously. This was shared by Zathrian who raised a brow.

"That is Dunmeri for kinsmen." The telvanni mage chuckled as she followed the Keepers back to the encampment. "Can I ask why you all are wearing face paint?"

"This is called vallaslin," Zathrian kindly corrected; "And it is not face paint."

"Oh, facial tattooing." Sarya spoke with genuine curiosity; "They look beautiful."

"Thank you."

The three hunters mildly groaned but followed; "I get the feeling things will be getting noisy." Tamlen grumbled with Theron and Mithra nodding in agreement.

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Upon following the Keepers, Sarya was greeted by the sight of strange but elegantly craved wooden wagons in a massive clearing within the forest. Marethari had explained them as Aravels which were used as both storage and houses.

They explained to her that usually the clans would travel on their own, but from time to time gathered in order to exchange supplies, information, things of that nature. It was by fortune that their scouts had spotted each other, and upon hearing news of the rising Darkspawn threat in the south, the Keepers decided it was safer to keep the clans together for the time being. Until they managed to make their way out of Ferelden.

The dalish had turned their collection of wagons and tents into a small community that was simply buzzling with activity. From what Sarya could see, nearly every elf was doing something. Be it preparing food, tending to their beautiful deer-like creatures they called 'hallas', tanning leather on racks, forging weapons, etc. She could see the dalish were a people who did not have much, so every member could be counted to pull their own weight. It was admirable.

Her scholarly mind couldn't help but draw comparisons between them and other elves already, specifically with the tribalistic bosmer. Though she doubted these elves were partial to cannibalism...

One of the sentries spotted their group with the Keepers at the front, and was half-way through a greeting when he saw Sarya. His jaw hanged so open she swore a fly would enter his mouth and he wouldn't even notice.

More and more eyes settled on her as they entered the camp properly, gasps and exclamations of shock were everywhere, more than a few elves swearing 'By the gods'. Honestly, the gawking was getting old, but at least they weren't shooting arrows at her.

"Peace, my kin" Zathrian lifted his arms placating, "Do not be frightened by our guest"

"Is she some kind of weird Qunari woman?" An elven boy not older than a teenager and having no vallaslin spoke.

Another voice countered; "I thought Qunari were supposed to be giants with horns?"

"Not all of them have horns I heard," An older elven woman retorted back.

Marethari raised her hand to hush the growing crowd; "Our guest is not a Qunari. In fact, she is our kin. She is an elf." Silence took over the camp as the only sound was the hallas and birds in the trees. Talas gestured to Sarya; "I'll let our cousin explain."

The Telvanni mage felt everyone's attention on her before she cleared her throat; "Hello! My name is Sarya Redoran, mage of House Telvanni and Dunmer of the lands of Tamriel." She waved with a smile.

There were questions.

Many, MANY questions.

So many in fact it took a few minutes for the Keepers to restore order, making the clans sit and stand in a large circle like they often would when it was time to hear the elders tell the old stories. The children sat eagerly in the front, and even a few adults sought better spots to better listen to the foreign elf, climbing up to the Aravels and the trees. Everyone in the clan was extremely eager to hear about their kin across the sea.

The Firsts, which Sarya learnt were the apprentices to the Keepers, stood closely next to their mentors. A light browned haired young woman named Lanaya who was Zathrian's First, who remained mostly quiet throughout the exchange. And the most adorable little creature Sarya had ever laid her eyes upon, the dark and grey robed mage called Merrill who just kept looking at the dunmer with the biggest most curious eyes she believed only children were capable of. Ugh, everything from her braids to her voice was cute, Sarya just wanted to eat her up.

But, she had an audience to address. This was feeling more and more like a lecture at the Arcane University.

"Now, where to begin..." Sarya mused from her spot, sitting upon on a log. Well, it would be better to get some of the most... awkward stuff out of the way. "Let me just start by saying that elves back home are like any other mortals. They can be friendly, they can be obnoxious, they can be cruel, they can be wise, they can be snobbish, they can be peaceful and they can be aggressive. I know you may have your own ideas and expectations of elves back home so... try to keep an open mind" She used her magic to conjure the image of a dunmeri male, much to the curiosity and wonder of the crowd. "My kind is called the Dunmer or the Dark Elves as the rest of Tamriel calls us. Proud, sometimes to a fault, we worship our ancestors and the gods we chose long ago."

"Do they have their own kingdom?" A voice asked, almost desperately. The thought of elves having homes to call their own was a fantasy to this people, one they dearly wanted to believe.

"All elves in Tamriel have" The answer sent joyous whispers among the crowd, and Sarya was beginning to understand how much they had needed to hear something like that. "The dunmer call Morrowind their home. To make a long story short, one of the human populations, the nords, enslaved them long ago and but the elves there banded together and earned their freedom"

Waves of disgust rolled through the crowd. "Shems are the same everywhere..." An elven man spoke.

"But you heard her!" It was the same huntress she met in the forest, Mithra, who replied excitedly. "They actually took down the humans a few notches!"

Laughs and words of approval rang through the crowd.

"And then the dunmer began practicing slavery themselves"

The laughs quickly died down.

Sarya grimaced; "Not one my people's proudest of moments. The dunmer enslaved many for centuries as servants, workforce, anything." Disgust rang in her voice as she shook her head. "The Arnesian War thankfully ended slavery in all of Tamriel during the third era."

"That was brave to tell us such a thing." An elderly woman with grey hair in a bun spoke who sat beside Theron. "You could have kept that to yourself."

"Better to be truthful about your kin back home. Our people have done equal good and bad in their histories. Sometimes those are extremes. Thus I'll let you all judge for yourselves on your cousins back in Tamriel. NOW!" A few jumped as Sarya shifted from somber then to brightly; "The Maomer or Sea Elves. Some call them tropical elves since they all live on an island." Everyone took a gaze of an image of an elven woman with colorless pale skin and eyes with white long hair. "These folks have harnessed something called serpent magic. And said to have tamed deadly sea serpents."

"Is magic that common where you are from?" Lanaya asked in wonderment.

"Oh indeed. Much more so than here I can tell you that much. Anyway, the sea elves in general are nasty raiders, they haven't had the best history with the people of Tamriel, more so in recent years. Though fortunately things have calmed down somewhat. They particularly have a long rivalry with our next group of elves here"

The illusion shifted to two figures that were simply majestic in looks. Tall, taller than any human even, with long golden hair and an equally golden skin. The eyes of the male and female figures seemed to shine like jewels. "The altmer, the High Elves. They are called the 'Cultured Ones' for a reason, their cultural contributions to the rest of Tamriel can't be denied, and many claim they even introduced the first written language. Highly adept mages, they are perfectionist in every aspect of their lives, be it art, craftsmanship, anything. Their home of the Summerset Isles is a sight to behold"

"Creators, look at them..." An elf in the crowd muttered amongst the myriad of whispers.

"Awww" Merrill let out a cute whine, "What I wouldn't give to be that tall..."

Chuckles and a few laughs rang through the crowd, those familiar with Merrill had already come to expect such things from their 'quirky' First. Theron smiled fondly at her as he shook his head in amusement.

"Don't be fooled by their appearance" The dunmer warned them, "The altmer can be very snobbish, looking down on other races, including fellow elven races. A radical political faction of their government called the Thalmor took it to the extreme once" Sarya was glad she never got the chance to properly meet one, her mothers had made sure of that. "What the humans did to you? The Thalmor would have done it to everyone"

A hush fell over the camp; "They purged countless villages they deemed unclean. This was every other race except Altmer. These people were monsters by every definition of the word. Two great wars were fought against them. The first one took all of Tamriel by surprise. They damned near destroyed it all. But were held back, and only just. Then thirty years ago came the inevitable second war. However that time, we were ready and tore them apart. My mother was at the head of it."

"Your mother?" Marethari leaned in.

"Miara Redoran, I'll talk about my family after I tell you about your cousins." Sarya winked at the Keeper; "The Thalmor were wiped out completely. A new government took over in Summerset afterwards."

"Gods," a young elven man ran his hand over his face; "I may not be fond of shem but that sounded beyond barbaric."

Sarya gave her fellow elf a long look; "Oh trust me hun I have not even gotten started. I have not gotten to the Ayleids or Dwemer yet, but will save the extinct races after I tell about the living ones"

"EXTINCT!" every Dalish outright yelled while gawking. A trouble hardened gaze fell on Zathrian's face; "That is not good news."

"Eh, you might not think that after you hear about them, Keeper. The Ayleids had it coming for all of the horrifying things they had done, as for the Dwemer... despite them being the greatest minds in all of Nirn. They had enslaved an entire elven race called 'Snow Elves' and blinded them, making them into servants."

Needless to say, the sheer weight of what was told to them hit them like a giant boulder. For the dalish, their enemy had been the humans and their Chantry, taking away their lands and forbidding them to worship their gods. It had always been like this, the humans who enslaved the elves, the humans who brutally abused their kind even today in the cities.

To hear that another race of elves was capable of being just as cruel, if not crueler; to their own kind... it was a very bitter and horrible truth. Poor Merrill looked heartbroken, while Marethari and Zathrian tried to remain composed in the face of that revelation but hints of their own concern surfaced through the cracks.

Sarya paused for a moment as she saw the various dalish go through different stages; disbelief was very evident on many of their faces. Most looked shaken, to the point they had to sit down to properly assimilate what they just learnt.

And elderly elven man in dalish leathers and braided bangs sighed; "This will be a lot to take in my dear. I for one am grateful for your honesty. It is better knowing all the sides of our kin in Tamriel."

At that the Dunmer nodded in agreement; "Glad to hear this... You are?"

"Paivel, I am Hahren or Elder of the Sabrae Clan." He gestured to his side to the other male elf who sat beside him in leathers; "Sarel is Hahren of Orava."

Sarel, whose red hair was partially grey gave a nod; "We are teachers of our history and culture."

"Then I'll likely be getting know you two quite well. Now, I have two more living races for you all to know. And this one resembles you more than others." An image soon appeared of a brown skinned elven man and woman with touch of green wearing hard leather gear. The Dalish took note these elves were roughly the same height and build as they were. "The greatest archers and hunters in all of Tamriel. The Bosmer, or Wood Elves, they live in the dense forests of Valenwood. By far they are the friendliest of our kind."

Tamlen dryly stared back; "And the bad part?" He droned out; "Can we just get to that over with before the positives?"

Oh dear...

"Ahhhhhhhh..." The fact she was taking this long to express herself after talking about slaving and genocidal elves, the dalish knew they wouldn't like this at all. Why change the current trend after all. "It's sort of a... delicate subject that even LOTS of people in Tamriel aren't comfortable with. You see the bosmer follow something called 'The Green Pact'. They venerate plant life so much that they follow a strict meat-based diet, as well figure out how to craft things without the use of plants and trees"

"Huh, that is interesting" Marethari addressed, "But it can't be all there is too it" She wouldn't be this hesitant to tell them if it was.

"Well" The grey elf clicked her tongue, her eyes shifting awkwardly. "Bear in mind that in modern times the bosmer are very open about the interpretations of the Green Pact, so many of them don't follow it as strictly, how much it's followed varies from settlement and even individuals" Many of the dalish exchanged uneasy looks, wondering what she was getting at. "So, part of the Green Pact involves the bosmer having to consume whatever they kill, or" Her volume lowered as the mumbled out the last words, "whoever they kill..."

She let her words sink in for a moment.

It started slowly, but when they began catching up to the meaning of her words many of the elves present began to look very sickly and green. Sarya awkwardly mused they might look like bosmer if they kept that up.

"Young lady" Zathrian began slowly. "Are you telling us that these elves, whom you called the 'friendliest of our kind'... are cannibals?"

"...Not all of them" Sarya stressed those words as best she could; "As I said, not all the Bosmer are strictly adherent to the Green Pact."

"How does that make it any better?!" a young female Dalish exclaimed warily; "THEY EAT PEOPLE!"

"NOT. ALL. BOSMER. EAT. PEOPLE!" The dark elf let out a droned sigh; "The empress of Tamriel is a bosmer and she and her children do not follow the Green Pact!"

THAT particular tidbit of information seemed to push all disgusted thoughts about cannibalism out of their collective heads. As the dalish were now staring at the dunmer woman with stunned incredulity.

"...What" Theron flatly spoke. His sentiments of disbelief share by pretty much everyone in the clans.

They all had been rendered silent once more.

"Perhaps" Marethari, though clearly shaken she managed to retain a certain degree of composure (which Sarya gave her respect for), gently questioned. "A touch more contexts would be required" His fellow Keeper nodded eagerly, their Firsts pretty much on the verge of a panic attack.

"Oh right. Tamriel is under the banner of the Cyrodiil Empire, a looooot of stuff went down in the last decades so right now the current dynasty is led by Emperor Nihlus Crassus the First, a human. His wife Keya and their children Mathius and Alynia are all elves"

"You're joking" A puffy cheeked dalish whom Sarya noticed lacked any kind of face markings, exclaimed in denial. "You honestly mean to tell us t-that an elf sits as empress of an entire empire? Over not just elves but HUMANS as well?"

"Yes," Sarya spoke plainly noting the various looks of disbelieving gazes of the dalish. She showed the image of Nihlus, Keya, and their children. "The Empress is a dedicated veteran of the Imperial Legion who served for over four hundred years."

Everyone went silent and stock still; "A-are the elves in Tamriel immortal?" A dalish around Sarya's age asked. By the all looks she was being given all the dalish wanted to know.

"Not immortal, but we have incredibly long lifespans. There are at least a few elves over several thousand years old in Tamriel. The only Elves who do not age like that, beside your people, are the Orcs. And the last group of living elves on Tamriel"

Eyes went wide as the image of a green skinned elven man appeared with tusks protruding from his lower jaw. A fierce gaze shone from his eyes.

"Fenedhis lasa!" A dalish who wore the clothes of a smith, greyed hair combed back, and face markings in the shapes of two tree branches over his brow and cheeks (Varathorn, the Orava master craftsman as Lanaya helpfully whispered into Sarya's ear), exclaimed something Sarya couldn't properly understand. A swear word of some kind she imagined. "I am willing to suspend my disbelief regarding elves with kingdoms who live for centuries, an elven empress, and cannibal elves. But I refuse to believe something like THAT" He gestured at the illusion, "In any way could be an elf!"

The sentiment was shared by many of his kin. Indeed, orcs were the least 'elvish' race of them all. With their huge powerfully built muscles and tusks, the only resemblance they shared with their other kin was the pointy ears. Indeed, Tamriel hadn't always considered orcs as parts of elven kind for a long time; many of Malacath's children didn't even consider themselves elves at all.

Sarya barked a laugh, "Oh trust me, the orsimer, the pariah elves, or orcs as they are commonly known, are as much elven as you and me. Though they pride themselves in having evolved their own culture far beyond that of the ancient elves. They live by their code, that of bloodlust and vengeance, but also honor and martial prowess. Orcs are among the finest smiths and warriors in all of Tamriel"

Zathrian let out a long sigh beside his fellow Keeper who rubbed her eyes; "I say that was a lot to take in my dear."

"I know, and I can fully share with more knowledge later. But I think everyone probably needs a break Keepers."

Both Marethari and Zathrian gave a nod in agreement. The female Keeper turned to everyone as she stood; "Let us all focus on what we have learned this day. I imagine our cousin has questions for us as well. But let us resume our work for the day."

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

After the summary lesson on their distant kin, the dalish were all too eager to show her around camp. With the Keepers promising to exchange knowledge with her regarding their people in Thedas, and Sarya assuring she would teach them all she could. Oh she couldn't wait to learn more about their history and their magic.

Marethari and Zathrian thought it fitting that her guides should be the hunters who attacked her on the forest, joining them were the Firsts Merrill and Lanaya. Oh the cute braided elf just wouldn't stop with her questions, not that Sarya minded; she was much like a very curious child.

"What magics are you specialized in?"

"Oh honey" Sarya let out a soft laugh, "What magics aren't I specialized in?"

Theron and Tamlen rolled their eyes at the haughty tone the grey skinned elf used. Theron's braids swayed as he lightly shook his head; the more they knew about Sarya the more they realized her attitude was rather insufferable. Acting like she knew everything, bad enough that many in clan were too quickly enamored by her tales.

Oh alright, he was happy to know that somewhere in the world elves lived much better lives than they did here. But was it really something to take pride in? Perhaps in a sense, but the dalish still struggled on day after day and Theron would never forget that fact. 'Tamriel' was a world away for them.

And yet the look on sweet Merrill's eyes whenever she heard Sarya recounting more about those lands, it was like she had discovered Arlathan itself.

The hunter allowed himself a small smile, seeing Merrill in high spirits never failed to lift his spirits. So he would tolerate the woman who seemed to love having people pay attention to whatever she had to say.

"Now, my turn for a question" The dunmer spoke with a grin, "Does your 'vallaslin' have any significance?"

"It's a rite of passage," Lanaya explained; "When a child reaches adulthood be it eighteen or younger a ceremony is done. Each vallaslin is a representation of our gods."

"That sounds painful," Sarya winced.

"Oh it is," Merrill remarked in a bubbly tone; "though after a while the numbness sets in and you hardly feel a thing!"

The dunmer looked to the faces of her guides; "So which symbol of your deities do you lot have?"

Merrill was rather happy to explain; "Mine is to Falon'Din, Mithra is of Ghilan'nain, Theron also has Falon'Din, Tamlen has Dirthamen, and Lanaya has June!"

"Hmm, I stick by my words I told to your Keepers, they are very beautiful." Sarya smiled back loving the energy that Marethari's First had.

Theron wasn't sure he felt like asking, but hell he was curious; "You have any tattoos?"

"My mother Miara, twin brother Oryrn, and elder sister Sofie do. As for me, nope! I just never found something I really liked" The dunmer's red eyes widen in surprise, the cause being the white deer-like creatures with multiple curved horns that gently pastured in the stables. Without a word she rushed over the fence to stare more closely at the animals who looked back at her with curiosity, "Ohhh I've half a mind to get a tattoo of you little fellas~!" She gushed, completely enraptured by the animals, "You kind of remind me of indriks!"

Mithra actually let out a short laugh, "These are the halla, they are very important to our people"

"Ohhhh can I ride on? I reeeeeally want to ride one" She was almost bouncing on her feet like a child.

"Don't overstep your bounds" Tamlen reproached with admonishment, "Outsiders can't ride halla just like that"

"I am afraid Tamlen is correct lethallan," A woman's voice caught their attention and saw two elven woman, one with pure long white hair and the other with a short ponytail and red, both dressed in simple leathers. "Unless you wish to join one of the clans or gain permission by earning our trust from the keepers you are not allowed," the white haired woman said in an apologetic tone. "Andaran atish'an, I am Elora, Halla Keeper of the Orava Clan."

The red-haired Dalish gave a small bow; "I am Maren, Halla keeper of the Sabrae Clan."

A disappointed noise came from the dunmer; "Well guess I'll have to earn your trust then."

"It's not that easy," Mithra dryly commented back.

"And it shouldn't be," Sarya surprisingly agreed; "Trust takes time and effort. And I am a weird foreign elf that just showed up an hour ago."

"Well at least you acknowledge it" Theron replied with judgement in his voice, "We dalish don't trust easily, and for good reason. We seldom have any friends outside the other clans."

"Well that's depressing" The grey elf casually stated, before smiling widely. "But, I'm eager to prove myself! Shouldn't be a problem"

The last comment made a few of the dalish feel rather insulted, even though it apparently wasn't her intention. But Sarya spoke with utter confidence, to her there was no doubt that she would prove her worth to their clans eventually, it was only a matter of time. Again, that so self-assured attitude that Theron found himself disliking, and by the expression on Tamlen and Mithra's faces, he wasn't alone. The hallas' caretakers were reserving their judgement until the words were turned into actions.

But sweet innocent Merrill only looked at the taller elf cheerfully, "Oh, there is lots of do you can do for the clans. We are always doing some task or another, it you could help us with that it'd be of great help"

"I was thinking more along the lines of exchanging magic spells and history with your Keepers" Sarya shrugged, "That honestly sounds like a much better use of my skills"

Mithra droned to Tamlen in a whisper, "I really don't like her…"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Sarya was soon brought over to the area where master Varathorn was working along with and another elderly elven man in smithing garments whom Merrill informed her was master Ilen. At present the craftsman of Orava worked at the makeshift forge while the Sabrae's gave a pleasant smile as he sat on a stump working on a bow; "Andaran atish'an Lethallen."

Merrill Had explained those words and what they meant to the dunmer. The Telvanni gave a light bow; "Serjo." She saw the confused looks from her guide's and Ilen; "It's a term of great respect."

"Respect you say?" Ilen cocked a brow curiously.

"It comes from having a mother who is a smith."

"Hah!" Varathorn barked a laugh, "I can already imagine what your childhood must have been like then"

"The smell of the forge is a familiar an endearing one to me" The dunmer replied fondly. "Threat of black lung notwithstanding"

Ilen smiled as he finished the bow and begun carved a piece of wood with a knife, "Did your mother teach you the craft then?"

"Oh she tried, but my calling was with the arcane arts. My siblings learnt it far better than I ever could" She snorted, "Oh if my mother were here she'd talk both your ears off."

"I must admit" The craftsman of the Orava said, "I'm curious about the craftsmanship of our kin across the sea. If it's not too much of a bother, could you conjure those illusions of yours to show me and Ilen a few sets of armors and weapons?"

Sarya only beamed before generating the widely known elven armors and weapons of Tamriel. "Beside my people's bonemold and chitin armors, the Orcs, and the Dwemer's, the majority of elven armor is very light weight."

Ilen and Varathorn looked in in awe held a critical eye to the armors and weapons shown to them. Theron raised a brow beside Merrill; "Bonemold and Chitin?"

"Basically crushed bone put together with a resin and leathers and made into either light or heavy armor. It is a very versatile set of gear that can be as hard as steel. Chitin is used from the harden shells from an insect called Ash Hoppers. Like before using resin and leathers and you have Chitin armor. Mother had been trying to create a newer variation of Bonemold for a while now."

Armor made out of bugs, Tamriel was upside down…

While the young Telvanni conversed, Varathorn and Ilen gazed at the golden armor with engravings of a hawk or an eagle into its design. Few times had they witnessed such beautiful craftsmanship before. And the same could be said of the weapons as all had a hawk motif into their designs. These were truly wondrous works that made the smiths proud, knowing other elves could still refine the craft to such degree.

The sentiment also went to the greenish glass-like armor accented with gold. Even the weapons held such a magnificent beauty to them that neither smith could find the words to properly describe them beyond one; "Beautiful," Ilen whispered in reverence.

"Think of our hunters and warriors in these armors Ilen," Varathorn smiled at his fellow smith; "I would love to make such beautiful works."

"Well you better start hoarding up ore like a dragon does gold" The Sabrae's master craftsman snidely retorted, "I barely have enough materials to supply our own huntsmen with proper gear. Leather and iron armor is the best I can do on a good day"

Sarya pressed her lips, "I take it it's hard for your people to get quality materials"

"If it's not the humans who make it hard then it's the wilds making things more challenging for us" Ilen said. "The best gear you see, our more intricately designed shields and blades? Those were done with time and care, with the materials we had to spare. We reserve our more quality plated armor for times of conflict"

"Hmm" Sarya hummed in thought, taking a look over the dalish weapons and pieces of armor. "What about trading with other clans?"

"There is that, but the one time I know we can make armors like that in bigger numbers is during the Arlathvhen, a gathering of all the clans" Varathorn smiled fondly, "Ahhh you should see it, master smiths and craftsmen of many different clans working together with the best and talent supplies we have."

Ilen brightened up as he turned his fellow smith, "Oh do you remember that set of armor clan Lavellan showed us? Ancient style elvish smithing made in the Dales, beautiful like a dream, a memento of our past"

"Indeed, those are rare, found only in ancient elven ruins"

Sarya tapped her chin as she thought for a moment; "What if I found ore for you to mine to help make your weapons and armor?"

That gained her Varathorn's and Ilen's attention; "How so my dear?" the Sabrea smith questioned.

"I know a spell that can detect ore veins."

Her words were met with minor disbelief from a few; "Are you being serious?" Tamlen grumpily asked with a cock of his head.

"Very. Miners use it when exploring caves to find any deposit of ore veins. Mother used it too since she had worked in mines often for her own ore." The hunters were not convinced; "Alright, how about I show you lot tomorrow by exploring the forest and finding some ore veins. What do you say?" Sarya beamed as set her hands on her hips.

The eager expression on Merrill's face told them they had no choice…

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Come the next morning, Theron and Tamlen began guiding the elf from far off shores through the woods on the quest of finding mineral ore veins that would be of great value for their craftsmen. The two males stood a few paces in front of Sarya who chatted with Merrill energetically about spells or something; it honestly went right over the hunters' heads.

"You find something yet?" Tamlen asked with mild annoyance.

The grey elf casted a spell in her hand, small blocky shapes floated in her palm as she surveyed their surroundings, "Not yet" She replied before continuing her conversation with Merrill. "As I was saying, the Fade is not present in Tamriel. We draw our magic from Aetherius, the realm of the gods"

"That's fascinating;" Merrill uttered in astonishment. "I simply can't imagine the idea of magic not coming from the Beyond. And you say it's no realm of dreams?"

"To call Aetherius 'a' realm is a very wrong. There are infinite realms and smaller pocket dimensions that make up the dimensions where the spiritual entities of Order and Stasis reside.

"And you believe the gods live there, like, true gods?"

"We call them the 'aedra', in the ancient language that means 'Our Ancestors', the gods are embodiments of universal concepts that formed to make creation. You can say they are spirits of the highest ranking, whose nature transcends all mortal understanding. A bare base yet effective statement would be saying that while all gods are spirits, not all spirits are god"

The First of Sabrae tapped her chin as she nodded in understanding, "If a spirit holds so much dominion over an aspect of reality, it makes sense to call such a being a god"

"Then, we have Oblivion, which is inhabited by the spirits of Chaos and Change, the 'daedra', which means 'Not Our Ancestors'. As they did not have a direct role in the creation of the world. Now, many in Tamriel have called the inhabitants of Oblivion 'demons', and yes while that terminology does in fact fit a lot of them, it's more complicated than that though while many of the entities that live there are harmful and corruptive, some are neutral, and lastly some are good sort of. It is just their way of thinking is too alien for mortals to understand"

"We dalish hold that all spirits can be dangerous, they are subject to change depending on the mind of those who confront them" Merrill explained. "But I'm curious; does that mean you don't draw magic from Oblivion at all?"

"Oh no" Sarya corrected, "We can in fact draw magic from the realms of Oblivion to cast certain spells, namely, the summoning of daedra"

"Woah, woah, wait!" Theron understood enough of their conversation to get that she meant by that. The dark tanned elf spun around to Sarya sharply, "Do you mean to say you actually summon demons?!" He threw up his arms and let them fall, "What, is living sacrifice practiced in Tamriel too?"

"Oh please" Sarya rolled her eyes, "Living sacrifice is a barbaric practice. Our skills on conjuration have advanced to the point that we do not need to sacrifice people to summon spirits. That is a shortcut taken by people who thirst for power. A true mage relies on their own preparation and skills"

"You could summon a spirit?" Merrill was much too excited about the concept, to Theron and Tamlen's growing horror.

"Yes," at that the two hunters paled and the dark elf rolled her eyes. "Without sacrifices."

"Will believe that when we see it," Theron said in almost a challenge.

The dark elf gave a sideways glance to the hunters; "If I summon a spirit would you attack him?"

Merrill gave Theron and Tamlen a look; "Promise me that you won't!"

"Merrill!" Tamlen outright yelled; "She can summon spirits! You know how dangerous that is!"

The Telvanni only shook her head before lifting her hand as a purple flame cloaked her hand. "Do. Not. Attack. him!" she warned Theron and Tamlen who both instinctively grabbed their bows as the dark elf released her magic and what appeared was a tall humanoid being wearing regal clothes? With charcoal skin, long black hair in a ponytail, horns adorned the top of his head, red marking on his face as he gave a polite bow to Sarya.

"Mistress Sarya!" The butler raised a brow as he stood upright at the small elven woman looking at him wide eyed, then at the two male elves in leathers aiming bows at him. "May I ask why these two are pointing their weapons at me?"

"Cause apparently in this country conjuration is so archaic they require living sacrifices," Sarya droned with a dry glare at Theron and Tamlen.

"Truly? How utterly primitive."

"Yeah, these lands are terribly backwater, but thankfully I am here to teach them the error of their ways!" Sarya beamed at her own proclamation.

"And they are very fortunate to have you, mistress" The horned entity spoke reverently with a hand to his chest as he bowed at the waist.

With the initial shock of the actual demon summoning done without blood magic over with, Theron and Tamlen couldn't help but feel insulted once again. It was almost like she was trying to actively piss them off...

"Oh my, this is wonderful!"

Oh sweet Merrill, the hunters mentally begged, please don't sound so excited about the demon right in front of you...

"Can you teach me?" She asked excitedly, much to their horror.

Surprisingly, relief came from Sarya's reply, "I'd love to, Merrill. But I don't think your clan would be too fond of daedric summoning"

The First let out a sad yet adorable whine of disappointment, while the hunters sighed in relief.

"This is Butler," Sarya gestured to the Daedric entity who gave a nod; "His race is called the Dremora or the Kyn as they call themselves. They are spirits of war but can choose to follow another path. Butler here being a prime example."

"Ever since I came to be, I envisioned myself as pack mule." Neither hunter could tell if this demon was being sarcastic or not. Butler turned his gaze back to Sarya; "Do you require anything mistress?"

The Telvanni shook her head; "Nope, just wanted to show this lot the advancement of conjuration in Tamriel compared to here."

"Ah, then I hope this lesson was enlightening to all. Farewell." And as he bowed he or it vanished in purple light.

Tamlen looked to Theron; "We should tell the Keepers of this."

"I'll gladly tell them myself," Sarya spoke up as she crossed her arms under her bust. "I will gladly tell them all the schools of magics I work with. I will hide nothing from your clans."

"Your people delve into dangerous things" The dark skinned elf admonished.

"Theron" Merrill reprimanded him with a frown.

"I sincerely hope the rest of your clan isn't as close minded as you" Sarya replied with a scowl.

If looks could kills, both elves would have set each other on fire by now.

"Enough you two" The First put her foot down, "For now, let's continue with our task at hand. Sarya, can you spot any mineral growths now?"

The dunmer let out a soft sigh, deciding it was of no use to argue with the hunters. She casted the spell once again, and did a double take as she spotted a glowing signature further up ahead. "There" She pointed down to a large crevice where a small stream flowed. "There is something up ahead in the crevice"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

As the two hunters went to inspect Sarya's find, both she and Merrill wandered further in the forest. The young Dalish asking all manners of questions about Tamriel magic, what types of magics were practiced? And the Dunmer mage was happy to tell all as they roamed the forest.

"So in Tamriel there are eight schools of magic." Merrill's voice in awe at the thought of it. "So much to learn, what were they again?"

A giggle came from the telvanni mage; "Restoration, destruction, illusion, alteration, mysticism, enchantment, conjuration, and thaumaturgy. Now, some of these blend into each other depending on the region and the type of traditional magic they teach. A person could spend their entire life studying one school of magic alone. Or be diverse and study many."

"And not have worry about Templars, Chantry, or being locked in a Circle. It sounds lovely," Merrill said dreamily

"It is... until a calamity threatens to destroy the world. Hordes of monsters, dangerous warlocks, armies of daedra who decide to invade just for funnies"

"Oh" The First made a disturbed sound as her ears dropped a little. "Does... Does that happen often?"

"Once or twice every era" The dunmer dryly replied, "Haven't seen it happen in my lifetime yet, but I no doubt will live to see one. Thrilling really"

"That sounds scary" The dalish mage mumbled.

"Oh don't worry honey, whatever happens my mom will take care of it. She'll make a fuss and complain, but it's pretty much her job, Hero of the Scrolls and all"

"She works as a book keeper?"

Sarya bit her lip, "Ohhh Merrill I swear I could eat you up" It shouldn't be possible for this girl to be so adorable. "Remind me to teach you and the other mages back in the camp these spells, I can think of some that'll be of great use for the dalish. Detect life will definitely be more..." The red eyed woman stopped mid-sentence as she blinked, surveying around through the trees and foliage. "Do you feel something around here?"

The dalish grew pensive. "Yes, I do... there is magic in the air around these parts" The first of the Sabrae clan held her staff; "Sylvans have been known to wander in this area of the forest watch your back, lethallen."

"Sylvans?" magic danced around her hands as she remained alert for anything.

"Trees brought to life by the possession of spirits." Merrill's voice was grim and stern.

A bewildered gaze came from the Telvanni mage; "Spirits here actually possess inanimate objects rather than they being the trees themselves" Well they certainly did not sound Spriggans that was certain. "Are they hostile?"

"Yes."

There was a rumble, the sound of wood cracking and twisting. **"Hmm,"** A deep, slow and ancient voice murmured from behind them **; "What manner of beings be thee, to come before this elder tree?"** Both ladies slowly turned to the sight of giant humanoid figure made of pure wood. With long limbs, a tiny waist and large upper body, a face with eyes and branches like horns on its head. On its back was more branches with pink and white leaves.

The Sylvan titled its head in curiosity at them; **"Skin grey, what an odd sight. Yet I can see you are not a sprite"**

"Oh I'm the weird one?! You're a giant talking tree!"

 **"Your red gaze does not deceive, even if you find it hard to believe"**

The dunmer rolled her eyes, "And he's a poet..."

"Oh old one" Merrill shows much more respect to the spirit, giving a small bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you"

 **"A most friendly greeting"** The sylvan replied, **"I am thankful for this meeting. Elves, humans and beast often pass, yet most care not for talk, I am glad to see you have more class"**

"Rather hard to speak with animals I imagine" Sarya commented with a grin, "What about the other trees, do their spirits no talk to you?"

The great tree waved it's long arms, **"Ahhhh, their voices are soft and silent, their rest one should not disturb, lest they became violent"**

The mage from Tamriel tapped her chin as she looked at the spirit up and down, the entity was a curious one, and this seemed like a good chance to satiate a curiosity of her. "Tell me, are you spirit of nature, or from the Fade?"

 **"In dreams I was born, from the earth my essence did not spawn, but now this bark I don"** The old living tree 'explained'.

Though Sarya understood his words, he was born from the Fade and now resided in a tree, his essence having turned into one with nature. "But have you ever met spirits that were not born of the Fade? I mean actual spirits from the world around you"

The ancient sylvan tapped its chin. **"Of earth and sky I've heard them speak; beings old and wise, so very unique. Spirits not of thought and emotion, but born from nature's motions"**

A smile graced Sarya's lip. It should not have come to any surprised; Kyne's blessing could be felt throughout these lands. So no surprise her daughters be here "Have they been seen recently?"

 **"Walk within the deepest forest they dwell, solitary when at peace, but their rage none can quell"**

That sounded like Spriggans alright. And unless you knew their language they would kill you on sight. Sadly her mother knew their tongue better than she did, so it was best not to venture their way and cause trouble.

Having sated that curiosity the Telvanni gazed to the Sylvan; "Do you have name?"

 **"To the forest I welcome thee, I am called the Grand Oak, sometimes the Elder Tree"**

"I am Sarya Redoran, mage without peer!" The dark elf said 'humbly'. Well, it was humble in her mind, if she really wanted to brag she'd have used a longer title.

"I'm Merrill, first of the Sabrae clan!" The bubbly elf introduced herself, 'merrily' Sarya thought amused.

 **"I bid thee salutations"** The poet inclines its head of bark and leaves in greeting, **"And it must be said, with great elation; Your Company's a treasure, it has truly been my pleasure"**

Their meeting with the mystical tree was suddenly cut short by the shout coming from one of the hunters in the distance, "Merrill! You need to come and see this!"

Sarya huffed to herself, noting her name was omitted. The dunmeri mage gave one last nod to the Great Oak, biding him farewell, "I am sorry, but we must depart. May the winds carry your poems far"

"Dareth shiral" Merrill inclined her head respectfully, the two departing to rejoin the hunters.

 **"Sky's blessing to you"** The oak spoke as he resumed his regular form, twisting himself back into a normal looking three, **"And may the earth makes you anew"**

Huh, if one were to ask Sarya, she'd say that sounded a lot like a phrase based on the teachings of Kynareth. Food for thought.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

The news of a good sized vein of veridium ore swept through the camp from the stunned lips of Tamlen and Theron. Actual Veridium! Saying both Master Ilen and Varathorn were shocked and then overjoyed would have been a glaring understatement. But the luck did not end there discovering a good portion or a rare material Varathorn called Ironbark. A very rare form of wood that is both stronger, lighter, and more flexible than steel.

Sarya only beamed at the adulation given to her by the now very happy Dalish smiths. Upon being shown the sights both Keepers had people quickly mining for the ore and bark at the place shone in the forest.

"We can actually give our warriors proper gear and weapons!" The joy in Ilen's voice was matched by his fellow smith.

"Ma nuvenin lethallin," Varathorn breathed out a cheerful sigh. The old Dalish smith looked to Sarya; "Enansal Lethallan. It must have been Mythal who sent you to us."

The Telvanni gave a light chuckle before noticing Zathrian and Marethari gesturing for her. Bidding a quick farewell to the two old smiths who were starting their work, Sarya noticed a look from the two leaders of the clans. "Something on your minds?" The dunmer asked with a cocked head.

"Theron and Tamlen explained you summoned a demon?" The Orava Keeper spoke in a hushed tone not to garner attention.

A long groan came from the Telvanni; "I was showing an example of how advanced Conjuration has come in Tamriel compared to here. The fact you need blood sacrifices in your country is glaring."

"Regardless, Conjuration as you call it is something of a deep taboo in Thedas," Marethari stressed her words quietly.

Sarya placed her hands on her hips; "I understand, I'll refrain from using that practice around people so not to cause a panic." Her voice a mild drone.

The two Keepers gave a grateful nod; "As for the rest of the magics you told to Merrill. Would you be kind to explain them?" Talas gave a smile.

"Especially the one that found that ore would be most kind," Zathrian added with a polite grin.

Sarya let out a happy squeal as she vigorously clapped her hands. "Magic teaching time!" The Keepers would be lying if they said her expression wasn't a touch unsettling.

She requested (very eagerly) for them to bring their Firsts and gathered a few materials of her choosing for them to practice on. Sarya had disappeared for a few minutes, only to return with multiple books stacked in her arms. The Keepers did not bother questioning where she had been storing them. A small learning circle had been set up near the Keepers' tents, joined by their curious Firsts. Though it would be fair to say Merrill wasn't as much curious as she was 'high-on-sugar' excited at the prospect of learning magic. While there were a few other mages in the clans, their leaders decided to first learn the spells themselves before passing it down to the others.

They all sat on logs as Sarya handed copies of the same tome, the cover of which depicted a tree, one half full of foliage and the other just bare branches. As a sign of good faith, Sarya was given a text that held everything they knew about the elvhen language, which she used to compare and reference a text of her own. The language 'ehlnofey', which she explained were the predecessors of most of mortal kind, held various similarities (too many to be coincidence) to their own language as they came to find. Needless to say they were also very interested in seeing what the dunmer could decipher by using this ehlnofey tongue as a reference to study their own ancient dialect. It was bound to have interesting results.

Perhaps even restore their lost language.

But for now, they dedicated their attention to the practical spells that could be of so much more use to their people.

"Alteration is all about understanding that reality is a big falsehood, and as such subject to change by the users will" Sarya spoke while going over the different words of elvhen and cross-referencing them with her own book. "The school specializes in altering the properties of the physical world"

Zathrian tapped a page with interest, "Skin hardening spells..." He discovered much to his amusement that they functioned almost exactly like the venerable 'rock armor' spell employed by many mages to protect themselves. "I'm familiar with the properties of some of these metals, but a few others are unknown to me"

"Those are from Tamriel" Sarya explained, "It's better if you familiarize with Thedas metals seeing those are native, that way you can understand their properties and apply them to your flesh and skin"

Marethari was deep into the lecture, focused on spell that would prove vital to the dalish. The ability to detect the lifeforce of nearby creatures. This could be a life saver, when journeying through dangerous territories.

She ran her finger over the paragraph, it wasn't just sensing the life around you. It was about casting upon your eyes the ability to see the 'flare', the life itself a being projected just by, well, living. The book instructions stated one had to use the same sense for feeling magic, concentrate on it, and cast it upon the user's gaze. With time it would become instinctual, leading to the user to be able to cast Detect Life more frequently and with little to no preparation.

The Keeper of the Sabrae gathered mana in her hand, directed it to her eyes as she focused on the world around her, and was greeted with the sight of every nearby figure lighting up at the rhythm of a heartbeat.

Marethari only looked in awe at the various forms of life she could now 'see'; "The applications for this one spell alone can help us hunt, be careful of hostile animals or people. Amazing..."

Beside her Lanaya gasped as she used the same spell; "It's so beautiful..."

"This is for the spell to find veins of ore." Sarya smiled as she pointed to the right section of the book in Zathrian's hands, "I have an array of spells for anyone curious. How to become invisible, how to see in the dark like a cat, or create a small ball of arcane light to hover above you for a certain amount of time."

"Have one to breathe under water?" Lanaya joked dispelling the detect live spell to read on healing.

"Actually... Yes. A very handy Alteration spell," Sarya smiled as the Keepers and their firsts gawked at her. "If you're good at enchanting you can fuse that spell onto an object like jewelry or clothes. There is even a spell to make heavy objects lighter!"

"I'm afraid dwarven enchanting is a touch beyond our capabilities" Zathrian commented regretfully. "We don't really have the raw lyrium for it, and handling it is very dangerous for non-dwarves and those" He sneered in disgust, "Circle Tranquil. So instead we do a more complicated version, but one still very effective if I do say so myself"

"Oh, we don't have lyrium back home. So we use other materials"

"Truly?" Lanaya remarked curiously, "What do you use then, an amalgamation of resources that have magical properties? It's been theorized that with the proper materials that are sensitive to magical energy one could recreate an enchant-"

"Souls!" The grey elf said with a wide smile, "We use souls!"

The four dalish mages looked at her with growing horror. Sarya could see by the widening eyes and expressions of pure fright they were considering running away as fast as possible.

"Let me clarify" She held up her hands. "We use ANIMAL souls to power enchantments"

"...That somehow makes it better?!" Lanaya screeched, making quite a few elves from the clans look up at their direction, before deciding it was better to leave the mages do their craft and carry on with their day.

"It's no different than killing an animal for its body parts. The soul just goes through the Dreamsleeve, the cycle of spiritual reincarnation, where the soul undergoes a process of renewal so it can be born again."

An uneasy gaze came from Zathrian as he rubbed the back of his neck; "I suppose that's... better, knowing that the soul of the animal can be reincarnated." Still there was hesitation in not only his eyes but the rest.

"Is Necromancy known in your land?" Sarya's question caught the four off guard.

Marethari gave a slow nod; "Sadly yes. I take it they have it in Tamriel?"

"Yes, and it is an illegal practice throughout Tamriel. I bring it up because those who illegally practice it tend use Black Soul Gems. Those can house the souls of people, be it elves, humans, or beast-men." Of course she was not going to bring up that Serana is a necromancer along with her mother, cause that would just be bad...

"What happens to the soul?" Merrill asked with worry.

"They are trapped in another very dreary and desolate realm, to say it's not pleasant is a massive understatement. This is why the empire holds the use of Black Soul Gems as a very grave crime. If the guard doesn't deal with you, then the various knights' orders will"

"Well" Zathrian breathed out, "I am relieved to see even the humans in your lands have standards"

It wasn't what he said but how he said it. There was something in his voice when he mentioned humans or anything human-related, mostly the humans of Thedas and their Chantry. It was like a small contempt which hinted at something larger. But then again, Sarya wasn't surprised, the entire day she had been plagued by questions about Tamriel, moments where the elves had put the 'unfair humans' in their place, even if they were aware the elves were just as flawed. They all carried various degrees of mistrust, resentment, and even hate for humans. So it wasn't a surprise to think Zathrian too fell into that category.

She couldn't blame them, the dalish entire history revolved around being screwed over by humans.

"The magic of your lands are very refined" Marethari said, changing the subject. "But I've noticed you haven't mentioned how ingrained magic is to your society"

"Oh believe me" Sarya snorted, "I'd love for magic to be of a more everyday use beyond alchemy and the usual utilitarian enchantment everyday folk can buy. Ironically it is the people of ancient civilizations who used magic to an even greater degree, the only modern day people who even come close to displaying such integrity between magic and everyday life are the altmer"

"And you said elves in Tamriel can live for centuries" Lanaya noted before turning to her mentor, "Maybe with them you can find the cause of your longevity, Keeper"

Zathrian let out a soft laugh, "I'm not so sure, my dear"

"Oh?" Sarya tilted her curiously, "You mean to say you're older than you look?"

"Keeper Zathrian has been with us for over three centuries," Marethari spoke with respect in her voice. "His longevity had brought some hope that perhaps some of us would regain our long life as well."

"Sadly," Zathrian shook his head; "It seems I have been the only one. I know not how I was given this gift. But I will use it to help my people however I can."

Rubbing her chin the Dunmer smiled; "At the very least your wisdom has been a boon for the Dalish I'd imagine."

"To those willing to listen, the young can be rather difficult at times." Zathrian chuckled.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

The days became routine for dalish and their guest, and Theron was hating every moment of it.

The gray elf would meddle into business that did not concern her, voicing her opinion even though nobody asked for it. Acting with such superiority, like she knew better than anyone, when she studied their own culture, history, and lore. While half of the clans were entranced by her and her pretty stories, others like Theron were growing tired of Sarya's attitude. Her backhanded comments, how she voiced her disagreements, uncaring of how her choice of words could be seen as insulting.

Most of all it bothered him how taken with the foreign elf Merrill was, following her around like a lost puppy, eager to learn more magic...

The hunter scoffed while he worked on his bow, catching sight of the source of his current bad mood currently arguing with the two hahrens. Oh boy it'd be another one of 'those' days again...

"I'm just saying" The dunmer spoke, "I'm sure there is plenty of land to settle on"

"It's not that simple" Paivel shook his head, "The humans have made it clear that if we were to do that, their chantry would just take it away again"

"Then travel further" Sarya replied, unwavering in ther stance. "There are lands still unexplored in Thedas right? Further south, even if the cold is too much. Or find a new home across the seas. You can't wonder forever and expect that will somehow help you rebuild."

"That would mean leaving behind our heritage" Sarel said offended, "Losing who we are"

"Cultural pride is not worth the lives of people" The mage refuted.

"And lives have little meaning if they lack identity"

"You could build a new one," Sarya spoke with patience as she sat on a log opposite of the Hahrens to speak with them. "Yes, not forgetting history is a good thing. But losing yourselves in the past will make you blind to the present and the future." She gestured around them. "I see two great clans who could grow well beyond their pasts into something much greater. I'm not saying forget who your people were, all I am saying is become something more than they were."

Paivel sighed; "You make it sound easy child."

Theron groaned with a scowl. It would not be easy, not with the Shems and their Chantry condemning them if they did what Sarya suggested. The hunter shook his head before taking notice of someone took a seat on the log beside him; "At it again are they?" Fenarel's voice being light and jovial.

A hunter and longtime friend of Theron since children. Fairer skinned, with sandy blond hair down to his shoulders, and wore one of the new armors made by master Varathorn and Ilen. His green eyes danced with mirth; "You'd think after several weeks she'd stop trying."

A scowl remained on Theron's lips; "She loves to hear herself talk doesn't she. Thinking she understands what our people have been through."

Fenarel kept his mood; "A fresh perspective isn't a bad thing. And you have to admire that fiery passion of hers. It definitely livened up the clans."

"...You're quite taken with her," Theron glanced with a light glare; "Could say you fancy her by your tone."

"Doubt I could keep up with her pace," Fenarel chuckled; "Though sharing her bed is not a bad thing." Theron felt his jaw lightly go ajar.

"Really?" The dark haired elf groaned, "Great, now aside from getting into your head she's gotten into your pants..."

"I'm just saying; she's not that bad. Sure, she lacks... people skills, but her heart is in the right place"

"You'll forgive me if I don't heed the words of someone who has shared her bed. I suspect your opinion is a touch biased"

Fenarel let out a short laugh, "I think somebody's jealous"

"UGH!" Theron let out a disgusted noise, "Spare me the thought, I can barely tolerate being next to her."

"Oh that's not what I'm talking about" The darker skinned hunter didn't like the teasing look his friend got in his eyes. "I believe you're jealous that Merrill follows her around all day"

Theron did not reply.

"Come now, everybody knows you carry a torch for her"

THAT did get a reaction out of Theron, a pretty hilarious one in Fenarel's opinion. "What?! No, I- What?! No, of course not! I- Stop looking so smug!" The blonde hunter would admit his smirk was in fact pretty smug. "There is nothing between Merrill and me" His retorted with finality.

"Of course there isn't, you haven't expressed yourself properly. And Merrill is too... Merrill, to notice you're interested as well"

"Oh you're just begging for me to... Wait what do you mean by 'as well'?"

Gods help him, he sounded so hopeful.

Though something could have happened a few days ago if not for that blasted dark elf.

* * *

 **XxX ~ several days ago ~ XxX**

* * *

 _Theron sighed as he sat under a tree by the lake in the forest close by the clans' camp. A smile reached both his eyes and lips as Merrill sat beside him. "Oh this quite lovely isn't it?" Marethari's first said with a spirited smile._

 _"Yes it is," the Dalish hunter muttered while staring at Merrill's face._

 _"Remember when we were little and snuck into the lakes to swim?" The First reminisced with fondness, "We used vines to swing and jump right into the lake, until-"_

 _"Until Tamlen got his ankle wrapped up in the vine!" Theron finished with laughter in his voice. The image of their friend dangling and screaming bloody murder as he swung by the air was fresh in his mind. "I remember!"_

 _"He screamed so much" Merrill giggled, though felt a bit bad laughing at the expense of their friend. "Don't think he ever swung himself into a lake again. A shame, it's still pretty fun!" She reached out to the water, the magic under her command making a thin stream of the liquid emerge from the surface and dance around her arm without wetting it._

 _Merrill made it look so simple, so natural. Theron could only watch fascinated at her display of control, "I never get tired of watching you" He coughed awkwardly when Merrill tilted her head at him, "do magic, I mean. It's... impressive"_

 _"Oh, this is nothing. You should see some of the stuff Sarya's teaching me!"_

 _Ugh, again with that woman. He'd rather not talk about her when he was spending time with Merrill. "Hmph, wish I could have been born with the gift" He idly tugged the necklace around his neck. "I dunno, maybe... I could do more for the clan, like you"_

 _Merrill couldn't help but notice the rather melancholic tone his voice had taken, the way he traced the beads of his necklace. A hundred beads to be exact, each carved into the shape of an animal. Deer, hawks, wolves, rabbits, etc., chasing each other across its length. It had been made with great care and love._

 _The necklace his mother had made for his father, the previous Keeper._

 _Merrill may not understand much of the world, and sometimes the words people spoke went right over her head. But even she could see Theron longed for a stronger link to his parents, something to make them proud._

 _She sent the water back to the lake, and gently placed her hand upon his. "I don't think you need it" She smiled softly at him, "I think you're already great without it"_

 _"You really think so?" Theron's voice a hush whisper._

 _Merrill only smiled "I know so." Her eyes shone with warmth and understanding._

 _Theron's smile was one of pure honest joy. Speaking to her, just… being near Merrill made his days be all the brighter. Her quiet concerns, her simple acts of kindness, how she thought of the well-being of the clan. But most of all how simple it was for Merrill to cheer him up whenever he was down. Her voice was a melody to his ears, and those pure green eyes the most beautiful landscape._

 _He could sit there, holding his hand for the rest of his life, and he'd knew for certain it'd be a good life._

 _"Merrill~!" Sarya's voice echoed so loudly it startled both Dalish. "I have some cards ready, you wanted to learn Legends didn't you?!"_

 _At that Sabrae instantly stood up beaming; "Coming!" She looked back to Theron with a bright smile; "See you back at camp!" And like that she ran off._

 _For a moment the Dalish hunter was frozen in place before lowering his head he let out a long frustrated growl. "That damn woman!"_

* * *

 **XxX ~ present ~ XxX**

* * *

A disgruntled sigh came from Theron; "Hopefully lethallin, you and Merrill will actually get there while you're both still young," Fenarel laughed as he stood up and walked away.

Theron really wished he had some arrows right now as he glared at his departing friend and then to Sarya who was still speaking with the Hahrens.

"Fen'Harel ma halam." He quietly muttered going back to his work.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Sarya's presence was all too common for the clans now, much to Theron's chagrin. There blessed instances in which she just seemed to disappear for hours at the time, moments in which he, Tamlen and others could finally breath in relief, even if it was just temporary.

Where would she go? The dark braided elf honestly did not care.

Unfortunately she would come and things would on as they have. Sharing her knowledge with the clan, while acting she knew about their own history far better than any of them. And yet somehow some of his kin acted like it didn't bother them. Honestly, he thought his days wouldn't get any better so long as that woman was still around...

But today, he and Tamlen caught a break. An opportunity.

The shemlens they had scared away, one thing from their fear induced rambling stuck with them.

"We should go to these ruins" Tamlen prompted. "It's our chance to bring something back to the clan!"

"I agree" Theron nodded in reply, before shuffling as hesitating swarmed his thoughts. "But, shouldn't we bring a mage? What if they actually saw a demon?"

"Oh please" His friend waved it off. "These shems could be scared with their own shadow. Besides, if we do that we risk Sarya finding out. And I don't want that outsider getting the credit; she's already insufferable enough as it is..."

That was true, he was glad Tamlen and Mithra weren't entranced by the dark elf and her craziness. The two Dalish strolled through the forest path the shems had found with their bows at the ready for anything. Not going too far they reached a large stone entrance-way, they could tell it was well made, but not by the dwarves. The forest had reclaimed this area, covering it so much they could not see what this place actually looked like.

"What do you think?" Tamlen looked in awe at the entrance.

Theron took a long look at the architecture; "If I remember what Keeper Marethari showed me from some books this is elven."

A smile came from his longtime friend; "And beside those two shems, no one has been here in ages."

There was a whistle that came from behind them, "That is a big entrance." Theron and Tamlen froze before slowly turning their heads and seeing Sarya standing beside them. "Hi!" She waved with a bright smile.

Tamlen felt his eye twitch; "How did you know we were here?"

"Ran into those humans you chased off. Boy did they scream bloody murder seeing me. Called me a Darkspawn," The Telvanni huffed. "Heard them before introducing myself they were going to tell a village nearby so I wiped their memories and teleported them to the Imperial Highway."

Theron closed his eyes and slowly breathe out through his nose, fighting back the irritation he felt. "Okay. Thank you. Goodbye"

"Wow that's what I get after saving your Sabrea and Orava from a mob of angry humans?" Sarya crossed her arms, "I think I've earned myself a bit off dungeon crawling fun"

"Yes" Tamlen forcibly spoke, sarcasm dripping from his every word. "Because you're just owed everything. That's how it works, you wave your fingers around, do magic, and then act like you know better than every else"

The dunmer blinked a few times, "Well... I do know better than everyone else"

There wasn't arrogance in her voice, nor smug haughtiness or anything similar, she spoke with honest conviction. Oh sweet Creators she actually believed that...

Just how much more pretentious could this woman get?

The darker skinned dalish finally had enough, "Forget it, go back to the camp; this is an entirely dalish matter!" He motioned to his friend to follow him, "Come on, Tamlen" And continued on their way.

"You do know I'm going to follow you regardless right?" They didn't make it five feet before Sarya's voice called again, "It could be dangerous, and Merrill would be very distraught if anything were to happen to you two"

Theron and Tamlen groaned as they dark elf continued; "I mean those constructs you call 'demons' could be haunting these ruins. How would you be able to fight them?" Sarya walked passed both creating a candlelight spell as they went within the ruins.

Both hunters glared; "If we kill her would the Keepers be angry?" Theron growled out in a whisper.

"Oh we would be exiled before we could blink. And Merrill wouldn't forgive either of us." Tamlen groaned; "Come on."

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

It was thanks to... oh Tamlen and Theron felt the bile in their throats to acknowledge Sarya's spell was useful, lighting the way for them as they went down some stone stairs. Finding themselves at an intersection the dark elf stopped at the sight of a metal brazier on the wall; "Wonder if that is connected to that veilfire Zathrian told me about. If more could find a torch for you two."

The shorter haired elf spotted one such torch in the ground; he picked up and inspected it. It was not made of wood but of pure metal, "Hmm, would this work?" He mused.

"Let me see" Sarya inspected the object closely, "Hmm, I do feel enchantments on this thing. So maybe if I juuuuuuust" She trailed off as she channeled her magic through the item, beaming happily as it lit up with pale green flames, further illuminating the room. "There we go!"

"Now with this we can split up" Theron was all too quick to say, "You know, to better explore the ruin"

The mage hummed in reply, "Promise you won't be poking anything dangerous okay?"

"We'll be fine" Tamlen said tiredly. "Just, you go that way" He pointed behind her to, "And we'll go this way. If we do find a demon, we'll call for you" With that, the two left. Eager to get away from the grey skinned woman.

Going down a long hallway Sarya lit up the few metal braziers she saw with Veilfire. She inspected a few stone carved statues and murals on the walls. Likely homage to the gods the elves of Thedas believe in.

The dunmer could not help but smile as she found herself in a modest size room with shelves littered with books and scrolls. Seeing several braziers she quietly lit them dispelling her candlelight. Cobwebs and dust coated every inch of the room. Carved in the walls were least several murals.

Casting a small wind spell Sarya blew away the dust and cobwebs. "Let's see what we got here."

She approached the walls to better look at the murals, they were ancient elven frescos as she's seen from old books the dalish had. Very nice, quiet artistic looking. The first mural seemed to depict the elves, cowering before men in armor and robes, Tevinter she supposed.

The next mural was of the elves rebelling, fighting back against their oppressors, as well as joining with the barbarian tribes to overthrow them.

The third mural was different in which all the focus was directed at one particular figure, a human woman, drawn to be larger than all the other humans and elves, depicting her importance. Her hair was long and flowing, she thrusted her hand forward, directing an army to fight against Tevinter.

Above her, the sun shined radiantly.

"Hello there" She mused, tracing her fingers over the figure. "Are you Andraste by any chance?" She spoke as though the painting could answer her. "I wonder who you were truly, would you accept what your Chantry has become, the ignorance, the hate, the fear?" She paused, "Or would you condemn it, would you fight against oppression again?"

No answer. Of course there wasn't one.

"I've only seen pieces of what the Chantry has done, and I hate it already. To be driven by fear and superstition, to scoff at progress in exchange of empty platitudes and dogma... those things have the plagued the world enough. I'd love to see the day where reason and understanding become more valuable, that is better to seek new knowledge than to burn that which you don't understand..."

Her gaze shifted, thinking back of the dalish. Their lives were harsh yet they lived on, even though they shouldn't had too, theirs was a proud and rich heritage, they should be doing so many wonderful things instead of wasting their time retelling old stories, hoping to recover a past that would never return.

Her gaze left the Frescoes and went to the shelves of books. Absently her mind wandered. She recalled her first time entering the Fade and encountering the circle mage Neria and the interesting thought construct Valor. After that unique encounter she had ventured back to that world several times. She had made a point to to study every inch of the dream world that she was very certain was not of Aetherius.

By chance she had encountered Valor once more. The two conversed for hours as they traveled the strange dream world. Near the end she had offered him a chance to become something more than a construct of thoughts, whether he decided to take the offer she will find out when going back into the Fade.

Perhaps he'd be watching over the warriors of Ostagar in the meantime, many spirits would likely be drawn to battlefield, like moths to a flame before the immense surge of death and all those powerful emotions raging through the conflict.

She pressed her lips, remembering how her mother had informed them via their rings she would be joining the battle at Ostagar. Tragedy had struck the human nobles she had been staying with, and now she accompanied the younger son to the ancient fortress in order to help him find his brother.

Alas, no matter how hard she tried her mother's worries were proven correct in the end. She was dragged into yet another war she had no stake in. Well, she wouldn't be a Doom-Driven hero of the Scrolls if she were to chicken out after all.

Her ring pulsed, almost if on cue. She activated the enchantment to receive the communication at the other end, Oryrn's orb lighting up above it as well. "Hello?"

" _Oryrn, Sarya_?" It was their mother's voice, she sounded... tired, weary even.

" _Is everything okay_?" Oryrn asked in concern.

"Are you okay, mom?" Her worry mirrored her twin's.

" _Yes, yes, I'm fine but_..." She paused for a moment; they could almost feel her running a hand of her face and hair in exhaustion. Miara let out a long sigh, " _At Ostagar, we... the battle was lost_ "

"What!?" Both twins shouted; "Are you alright!? What about Sofie! And mama Serana" Sarya's voice growing more and more frantic.

" _Sarya_ ," Miara's voice though tired held a calming paternal tone. " _We were hurt but nothing life threatening. However Marcus, Neria, Gin, Brianna, and a young warden named Alistair are in rougher shape_."

Oryrn spoke up; " _What happened_?"

" _The Darkspawn had outnumbered us. Serana and I fought alongside Duncan while Sofie went with Marcus and the others to light a beacon for Loghain Mac Tir and his men to flank the beasts from behind. The beacon was lit but no forces came. We were betrayed, Duncan asked me to save Marcus and the others. Getting there we were ambushed by Darkspawn. Someone... saved us, but I'll explain her later_."

" _Truly_ ," the husky voice of an elderly woman spoke up with an eerie mirth. " _That is rather quite rude young Thur_."

A long pause came from both Sarya and Oryrn; "Who is that? And why did she call you Thur?" Only dovah called their mother that.

Serana made herself known by speaking up; " _We're working on that. But as of right now, it's just us who survived Ostagar. Besides that bastard Loghain_."

" _That does not make any sense_ ," Oryrn's voice no longer his usual calm; " _I've been in Redcliffe for a while now and people praise him greatly. He was the longtime friend of the late King Maric. He willingly left his friend's son to die_?"

" _Believe me, we want answers as much as you_ ," Miara responded with rage in her voice; " _But now the Darkspawn have nothing stopping them from advancing further into Ferelden_."

"Oh gods..." The youngest daughter muttered horrified. "W-What are you gonna do?"

" _We_ " Miara paused momentarily, " _are working on it. For now on stay put, I'll inform you about the next course of action once we have one. First we need to tend to our young Wardens_ "

" _I hope you keep safe_ " Oryrn voiced.

" _You two. I'll talk to you later_ "

"Goodbye mom, take care" Sarya gently said as the transmission was cut, leaving her alone with her thoughts that raced through her mind at high speeds. Sitting over an old chair in the room, she took in a deep calming breath as she massaged the bridge of her nose. Her hand descending over her mouth as she tried to bring order to her wary mind.

It was a matter of time before the Darkspawn advanced further into the country, and she doubted they would leave the forests unscathed. She needed to warn the dalish, get them to spread word to the other clans in Ferelden to move.

To where? Sarya was not sure.

Standing from the chair she was barely within reach of the door when she felt it. Darkness. Pure, raw, malevolent, cancerous dark magic in its most disgusting form. It made her blood turn icy at the mere sensation of it. Her heart skipped a bit at the thought of Theron and Tamlen being in danger.

She raced out of the room and through the hallways the two hunters had taken. Ignoring every piece of architecture and culture that would usually catch her interest, her focus was only on getting to Merrill's friends.

She followed the trail of the pulsing darkness; the stronger it grew the closer she got to the source, of that Sarya was certain.

The dunmeri mage came to a screeching halt as reached the final chamber, her red eyes finding the fallen form of Theron on the ground. And in the center of the room, above the steps of a platform, stood a great mirror that radiated magic.

From it, she could feel the raw source of darkness. Spreading like a disease, infecting everything within its reach.

Sarya acted on instinct, firing a blast of raw arcane power with enough force to shatter the mirror, and pushing back the sheer corruption. The shards of glass, once malignant and dangerous when whole, fell to the ground inert.

The dunmer wasted no time and knelt before Theron, "Oh gods" His skin was deathly pale, his veins were pulsing visibly. The corruption had spread over his body. She frantically scanned the room, looking for his friend. "Tamlen?" She called once, "Tamlen!" She yelled but she heard no response, her shout echoing through the ruins.

She casted detect life, trying to find any signature that could belong to him... but it was no use.

"By Mara what is happening?" She whispered as she looked back to Theron. Trying to stir him or call his name did nothing. "I have to get you back to camp." She nearly used teleportation to quickly go back to camp, but hesitated, she had no idea what Theron's condition was. For all she knew the sudden transmission would be detrimental for his well-being.

With a groan from the afflicted dalish she picked him up and placed his arm over her shoulder. "You may hate me Theron, but I won't let you die." Whatever he had her instincts told her it was dangerous. If it was contagious or not, she only prayed her unique heritage would kept her safe.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

The journey back to the camp was slow but thankfully no wild animals showed up as Sarya dragged Theron back to camp. When she noticed the wolf statue Fen'Harel at the top of the hill, Sarya felt relief, but it was brief, she soon yelled for help.

She was lucky Fenarel and Mithra were close as they heard Sarya's cry and ran to the rear of the camp. "What is-" Mithra's irritated words soon became still as she and Fenarel saw Sarya dragging an unconscious Theron up the hill. "What happened?!"

"We were investigating an old elven ruin. I had split up with Theron and Tamlen to look around. When I found Theron he was like this"

Fenarel was swiftly at her side and helped take Theron's other arm over his shoulder; " And Tamlen?" The dunmer only shook her not knowing where the short haired hunter was. "Mithra, go get Keeper Marethari and Keeper Zathrian!"

The female hunter nodded and dashed ahead as Sarya and Fenarel brought the unconscious Theron into camp; "Any idea what Theron has?" the Telvanni mage questioned as people gasp and gathered around them.

"If it's what I think it is, we need to have the keepers check you over lethallan." Sarya heard the fear in Fenarel's voice as he spoke.

It was less than a minute when Marethari and Zathrian ran over to them; "What happened?!" The ancient elven man spoke quickly before he paled at the sight of Theron with fear etched on Marethari's face; "Oh gods, take him to my tent!"

Following his instructions Sarya and Fenarel took the unconscious dalish hunter into Zathrian's tent and laid him down on the wolf furs. As soon as that was done Marethari took the Dunmer by the hand as Zathrian knelt beside Theron. The female keeper carefully looked over the bewildered Telvanni and even used her magic as if to detect if anything was wrong. But what got Sarya was the level of fear she saw in the eyes of Marethari. Whatever Theron had it was extremely serious.

A weary but thankful shuddered sigh escaped the female keeper's lips; "Mythal be praised you don't have it!"

"I don't have what exactly," Sarya asked slowly.

"Blight disease..."

"Blight?" She exclaimed in surprise, her tone rising. "What Theron has, _that's_ the Blight?!" Mara's blessings, nothing she had read over the subject, nor the stories she had heard, could even begin to make justice (or rather horror) to what she had felt in the ruins.

That Taint, that sheer corrupting presence. It was enough to make her feel sick. And Theron had taken a full blast of the malignant essence.

And Tamlen... gods she didn't even know what had happened to Tamlen.

"Sarya" Marethari placed her shoulders on the Telvanni, "I need you to tell me what happened. Where were you three?"

The dunmeri let out a wary sigh, running a hand over her dark locks. "Theron, Tamlen and I went to some ruins, elven in origin we believe. We split up for a moment when I felt this... corruption spreading. I raced towards them but I only found Theron, Tamlen was nowhere to be seen" She paused for a moment, letting the Keeper digest the information. Her eyes became mournful momentarily before the steeled themselves once again. Sarya could respect that dedication to her role.

"Were there darkspawn?"

"Think I would have known if I saw a darkspawn" By the sounds of it, one should recognize the monsters on the spot. "But no, the corruption was coming from a mirror"

She frowned in confusion, "Mirror" Her eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hairline. "Creators, what they found must be an Eluvian"

"I've read that word in passing in your books" Sarya commented before asking, "What are they?"

"In the old empire, the Arlathan elves would use those mirrors for communication and long distance travel, as portals"

Her answer made the Telvanni mage's eyes widen in sudden realization to what that mirror was, "We have those in Tamriel, we call them wayshrines" Her gaze shifted in worry, "But if the corruption was coming not from the mirror, but the place the mirror was linked up to... Just what in Oblivion was on the other side of that thing?"

For that, the Sabrae Keeper had no answer. "What happened to the Eluvian?" Marethari asked quickly.

Sarya sighed as she rubbed her arms and glanced to Theron; "I shattered it. The evil coming from that thing was too powerful. I wasn't going to risk it infecting anything else..." She lowered her head as she felt shame wash over her; "I should have been with them."

Marethari gave the dunmer a stern gaze; "And you would have either ended up like Theron or poor Tamlen wherever he is. As to what was behind that mirror perhaps its best we do not know."

"Theron!" Merrill's panicked voice rang out throughout the camp as she ran towards Sarya and Marethari; "What happened to Theron!?" fear danced in her eyes as she saw the young hunter lying in Zathrian's tent with said Keeper using his magic on him. "THERON!"

She almost rushed towards the tent till Sarya grabbed her by the waist restraining her. Merrill screamed in both elven and the common tongue with Marethari trying to calm down her First. The young Dalish mage was in full hysterics with tears in her eyes trying fruitless to be freed from Sarya's hold.

"You have to let Zathrian treat him," Sarya tried to calm her friend down.

Merrill however was not listening; "Let me go! What's wrong Theron?!"

"He has the Blight!" Marethari finally yelled as silence fell around the camp.

Gasps of horror and shock went off through the camp, the confirmation of their fears made everyone panic, knowing full well the horrors the Taint could inflict on the living. Many gave the tent upon which Theron was being treated a wide berth.

"No" The First of the Sabrae clan muttered horrified, her head shaking, "H-He has to pull through, he will pull through won't he?" The bitter tears fell down her checks. "Keeper Zathrian is helping him, so he'll be okay, he'll be okay!" It sounded like she was trying to convince herself. "And Tamlen, h-he must be around somewhere, we just need to find him and, and...!"

"Merrill, shhh, calm down" Her Keeper gently said, taking the younger mage into her arms. "Zathrian has more experience than any of us, you need to keep faith"

The braided elf stiffly nodded, but her sobs would not stop.

Sarya tiredly ran her hand over her face, "Is there anything that can be done?"

Marethari sighed as she consoled her First, "The only real cure for the Blight is to become a Grey Warden, but all of them are in Ostagar"

Oh... Sarya gulped nervously as she remembered something very important.

"I... should inform you of this" She began slowly, loud enough for the clans to hear. "I recently received information about the current situation at Ostagar from my mother" The dalish's attention were now solely on her. "The human army... fell, the Darkspawn can now march unopposed into Ferelden"

The silence in the camp was almost deafening, even the forest seemed to have fallen silent.

"Oh gods..." Mithra whispered horrified, as cries of fear and disbelief were heard from many of their kinsmen.

As Zathrian was still occupied with Theron, it fell to Marethari to keep order. She momentarily let go of Merrill, her hands raised in a placating gesture. "Peace, peace! It'll take time for the Darkspawn to reach the areas of the forest, we have enough time to inform the other clans and prepare an evacuation!"

Fenarel stepped forward, "Where would we go?"

"We can cross the sea and go to the Free Marches" The Keeper of the Sabrae clan replied. "So long as we suffer no setbacks, we can make it in time. Begin preparations to depart, immediately"

At her command the dalish of both clans began to move, there was much to be done if there were to save themselves.

Merrill looked at Marethari pleadingly, "And what of Theron?"

Marethari turned to the tent, and saw Zathrian stepping back from Theron's form, a hand covering his mouth as he looked at the young elf's body with a critical eye. He exchanged a look with his fellow Keeper, who understood his meaning instantly. The look her mentor gave Merrill was heartbreaking, "Zathrian has done what he can... it is in the gods' hands now"

Merrill's lip trembled as the tears fell with renewed intensity.

It was at that moment that Sarya swore she would not let Theron die, no matter the cost. She was a powerful and resourceful woman, she would find the way to save him. Even if she had to deal with dark powers to do so...

But Fate has a funny way of making an already bad situation even worse.

"Keeper Marethari, Keeper Zathrian!" The voice of a female scout rang through the camp, a hunter in leather gear quickly run towards them, "There is movement nearby!"

"What is it?" Zathrian quickly asked, "Is it bandits, shems, Darkspawn?" He asked the last part with trepidation.

"No" The hunter shook her head, "The other scouts say they have found wolf tracks, but too large for them to be of regular wolves. They've been surrounding the area, almost as if something was stalking us"

It was then that Zathrian's expression had gone from cautious to one of absolute horror. As if he knew what was happening.

Then, the howling began.

Sarya summed up the situation perfectly with just two words;

"Oh no..."

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 _ **Another chapter will be on the way!**_


	10. Doom driven for Ostagar

**Disclaimer:** We do not own Dragon Age Origins or Elder Scrolls Series

 **Co-Author and Beta** : Etheral-23

 **Doom driven for Ostagar**

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Fires raged from Cousland Castle which shone brightly in the night. Howe's treachery continued as his men slew anyone in their path be they servant or guard. Though their main targets were the Cousland family itself. Blood coated the floors and walls of the white stone of the castle as Howe's main forces gathered at the large double wooden doors of the main hall. A man in heavy plate armor bellowed out orders as several men maneuvered a massive wooden battering ram on wooden wheels.

Back and forth they moved, hitting the blunt end of the ram at the doors. Around them Howe's soldiers were like hungry predators waiting to claim their hiding prey. Inside the main hall Miara stood at the head of the remaining knights of Cousland. Behind them Mother Mallol and the dwarven smiths stood protectively over the surviving servants. Ser Gilmore glanced to the corpse of his mentor, he remembered every lesson Ser Ector had given him since he became a soldier of Cousland.

He would not let him down.

Miara gripped Dawnbreaker and Dragonbane in each hand as she stood ready; "Make every blow be a kill! None of them must get behind us. Show these cowards what true knights can do!" Her voice roared as each remaining Cousland warrior was eager to unleash their fury and vengeance upon the curs that dare threaten their home and families!

She planted her blades on the ground at her sides before bringing her hands together, heat gathered as raw flames formed on her palms with shining intensity. She turned to Gilmore who watched what she was doing, "Let them through, I have the proper welcome ready for them"

Ser Gilmore nodded and raised his hand, "On my command, back away from the door!" The soldiers did not question his decision.

The door banged again, making the soldiers stumble back for a moment. The cracks and twists in the wood were becoming more prominent. This needed to be timed properly.

"Hold"

The door banged once more. Miara's eyes were narrowed in concentration, channeling as much magic as she could in her hands.

"Hold..."

Sweet dripped from his brow, but he did not let exhaustion get him, at this point Gilmore and the other soldiers were running completely on adrenaline. And they would use every last drop of energy they had left, until their bodies broke down if it meant defending highever.

The door banged, one more time and it would be ripped off its hinges.

"Now!"

The soldiers immediately moved away, and when the ram hit there was nothing holding it back. The gates burst open, and Howe's men charged in.

Straight into the line of Miara's spell, a stream of ravenous flames shot from her palms. Their war cries became screams of terror and then pain as the flames enveloped them, they fell to the ground, twisting and rolling but it was no use, this mage fire could not be dowsed like regular flames.

The first wave had fallen, but the second one charged in, jumping over the bodies of their flaming fallen as they made their way through.

The dunmer picked up her swords and charged in with the highever guard, Miara's blades were a whirlwind of rage and metal, the chainmail of her enemies fell to pieces as they cut through plate as though it was not there at all. Dawnbreaker instantly cauterized the wounds with its hungry flames, while Dragonbane scorched the flesh around them with its arcs of lightning.

A Howe soldier charged at her with his shield raised up, but Miara deftly dodged to the side and slashed as his leg, making him cry out and fall to his knee. His defense gone, Miara twirled Dragonbane until she held it in reverse, and buried the sword straight through the man's back.

Gilmore parried away the blow from an enemy with such strength he ripped the blade from his grasp, sending the weapon flying away. He slashed once, twice, thrice until the enemy's chest armor was filled with red lines. He did not wait for the soldier to fall to the ground when he moved over another target. Gilmore did not give the enemy a chance to strike; instead he attacked first with a fierce thrust, the blade piercing through his stomach effortlessly.

The soldiers of Highever fought on valiantly, invigorated by their righteous anger. But they numbered only in a paltry dozen, whereas Howe's men threatened to overwhelm them with sheer numbers. Had it not been for the foreign elf's magic and combat prowess, they would have never made it out of the castle.

The bodies of Howe's men kept piling up. The ringing of metal against metal was ceaseless, as were the shouts of the combatants.

It was only when the last of the invaders fell that silence fell over them at last. If only momentarily.

Gilmore gasped for breath, his lungs were burning, his arms felt tired. Never before did his armor weight so much as it did now. He nearly raised his blade when a hand settled on his shoulder, and relaxed when he saw the blue eyes of the elf. Then golden magic began to flow from her hand, granting him relief.

He could have asked about her magic, he should have really. But at this moment none of them could afford to be picky. Not when magic could be used on their side.

"Howe's men are everywhere in the city!" A Highever soldier wielding a bow shouted as she reunited with the group, "They're gathering to assault the castle again; they plan to take it this time!"

"What about the rest of the guard?!" Ser Gilmore asked frantically, his face stained with the blood of Howe's men.

She shook her head, "If they didn't join us by now, then they're already dead"

His face twisted as the conflict overwhelmed him; he let out a snarl of impotent rage as he made his decision. "No choice, we need to leave the city and reunite with the Teyrna and lord Marcus"

"They must have already evacuated through the secret passage with Bryce" Miara pointed out, "How are we going to meet up with them?"

Ser Gilmore remained silent for a moment, glancing back at his fellow soldiers, the few surviving members the servitude, Mother Mallol and the smiths. "There is a place we can meet" He finally spoke. "As part of the evacuation plans, the nobility and any surviving soldiers must reunite on an abandoned dwarven ruin in the Storm Coast"

"We'd be leaving Highever defenseless" One of the soldiers grimly remarked.

"Highever has already fallen" Gilmore's voice carried the shameful feeling of defeat. "If we stay, we too shall fall with it. But if we leave now we have a chance to reclaim it"

"Ser Gilmore is right!" Mother Mallol spoke up with resolution; "You are all exhausted, even with Lady Miara there will be causalities next time. We must rest and gather ourselves, tend to anyone injured and regain our strength!"

At the words of the Chantry mother the Cousland soldiers conceded with a round of nods. Miara looked to Ser Gilmore gazed back; "Follow me."

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Though panic coursed through her entire being Iona held it together for her daughter and little Oren who she held in her arms while Amethyne ran beside her holding her hand. In front Kodlak Whitemane stood protectively as their shield and if needed, their blade. Remembering a back passage Marcus showed her to lead out of the castle she guided them all towards safety.

Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions trying to rationalize all that happened this night. Why would Howe not only betray but also kill off the entire Cousland family who he had been friends with for decades?

"Steel your heart lass." Kodlak's voice broke Iona's thoughts; "You and the safety of these cubs come first."

Whoever or whatever this being was, he was right. They had to escape and get back to Marcus and the Teyrns. Relief came to her at the sight of the door she was looking for. Opening it they traversed through a long hallway. It did not take too long as reached another door and found themselves outside the castle. "The south gate shouldn't be far." Iona said with hope in her heart. "I know where we go from there."

"How about into my bed knife-ear." A lewd voice spoke up.

They sharply face back to find three of Howe's soldiers approaching them menacingly with swords drawn. "Arl Howe won't be pleased to know that little lord's elven whore escaped" The leading soldier pointed his blade at the children, "With the youngest heir"

Oren and Amethyne sobbed in fear, clinging closer to Iona as she prompted them to get behind her. Her heart raced thunderously against her chest, fear clinging to her entire being. But she needed to be strong for them.

Then, the broad armored back of the old human came into view as he stepped forward. "Cover the pups' eyes, lass. I don't want them to see this"

Hefting his large warhammer, his stride was long and intimidating as he approached Howe's men. The soldiers tried to make themselves look unimpressed, but it was hard to do so when the man was easily taller and broader than any of them.

"You three have a choice, leave with your lives or die at my hand. Simple as that"

"You don't scare us, old man!" The soldier that had threatened Iona charged forward, his blade fell upon the large white haired man who did not even attempt to move or raise his weapon.

There was no need after all, as the sword's edge was easily caught in his armored hand. The soldier stared in panic as he struggled to set his weapon free, but it was to no avail. He stared into those pale blue eyes, feeling like a trapped deer before a very hungry wolf.

"I warned you"

The hammer blow came so swiftly it shattered his jaw and teeth, snapping his neck and ending his life quickly.

"You bastard!" one of Howe's men cried out in rage only freeze up at the menacing glare from the towering Avvar man.

"Bastard am I?" Kodlak pointed his warhammer at the remaining two; "Says the honorless curs serving a snake that is willing to murder innocent people and children! Come and face your death like the worthless dogs you are!"

Both men charged with the hope to overwhelm their opponent. But Kodlak had faced Draugr with more skills than these curs! Sweeping his warhammer low he struck one of the men in the knees. The breaking of the bone made Iona wince as the man screamed falling to the ground. His cries were silenced by the white wolf's hammer smashing into his skull. The last man tried to run past his opponent to kill the elf and children but his throat was caught by the Nord's armored grip.

The man in vain tried to loosen the grip to his neck even as he was lifted off the ground. "The Deadlands await you." With a simple turn of his hand he snapped the man's neck with ease and let his body drop. Kodlak turned to Iona who shuddered out a grateful sigh and nod.

With no further delay they ran for the south gate. It was by luck that it was unguarded as they passed through the open gate. "Iona!" Fresh tears came from the elven woman upon hearing Marcus's voice and seeing her lover and Teyrna Cousland ran towards them. Loke barked happily beside his master.

Eleanor rushed their way hugging the children and Iona before Marcus embraced his crying lover and her daughter. Kodlak surveyed around where the two came; "Where is Miara?"

Holding her crying grandson Eleanora answered; "She chose to stay with our surviving soldiers and servants with Mother Mallol. If they survived Ser Gilmore will know where to go." She paused before giving the man a grateful smile; "Thank you."

A nod came from the late Harbinger; "Let us leave this place, I shall follow."

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Dwarven architecture relied on very rigid geometrical designs in intricate patterns, as Miara was beginning to realize, high walls polished to great detail, the engravings still noticeable even with time weathering them down. The care and dedicating given to their every structure was a sign of great dedication by their originals shapers.

Once again the coast was proving true to its name with its constant raining, but at least they had shelter. The cave had to stretch at least half a mile deep into the cliff face and it possessed multiple chambers, many of which purpose eluded Miara's understanding. But as far as she could guess, the big chamber where she and the soldiers were resting on must be a sort of communal area, if the number of chairs and tables was any indication. Not to mention the great brazier located in the middle of the room which the elf had lit up as soon as they found it.

Currently the soldiers, the surviving servants, the dwarven smiths and the Chantry mother were all huddling close to the fire, seeking warmth and rest. The trek had been a long one, taking them an hour or more, they all needed something to bring them just a bit of peace of mind. But the look of desperation in their faces told her they would find none by staring into the flames.

Miara let out a soft sigh through her nose as she leaned against one of the walls with her arms crossed. She pushed herself off the wall and approached the refugees. "I know many of you must be wounded, I can tend to anyone who needs it with my spells"

Mother Mallol only glanced at the elven woman; "Your help would be greatly appreciated."

"With your Chantry's edicts on magics surprised you're not calling for a witch hunt." The Dragonborn spoke her mind as she began to use her healing magics.

The Mother after a moment of silence responded; "Tonight I saw brave soldiers, some of them people I grew up with, slain. Servants, simple folk who worked for an honest living, mercilessly slaughtered... You'll forgive me if right now I care not one bit about your magic..."

Strokig let out a loud snort; "Think I can say none of us give a sodding stone about your magics right now." His wife Bugnuda gave a tired nod resting her head on her husband's shoulder. "Help these people lass."

Saying no more Miara and Mallol tended to the wounded with some help from the less injured servants. None were in any mood to really speak with the atmosphere being as somber as it was already. Near the entrance Ser Gilmore sat watching the rain pour and wave's crash on the beach. He remained vigil as all waited for the Teyrns and lord Marcus who had yet arrived.

Despite exhaustion claiming his body and sleep called to him like a siren he remained awake. Until he saw the lords he served he would not shirk his duty as a knight.

He kept his sword in his lap, in case he needed to use it. His fingers anxiously played with the handle as his mind could not remain idle. Gilmore could honestly say he had never been more alert; the last few hours had been a harrowing experience, the most challenging one in his young career as a knight of the Cousland family.

Tch, some knight he was. The castle was in shambles, overtaken by that snake Howe with the city itself at his mercy now. He had failed in his duty to Highever, not his mind was plagued with the images of Howe's banner hanging by the city walls.

No, he couldn't allow himself to think like that. Lord Bryce would return, he'd take this matter to the king and justice would be theirs. So he waited, pushing aside the soreness of his body and how heavy his eyelids felt. He would remain watch all night if he had to. Gilmore's lips moved silently as he offered a prayer to the Maker and his Bride, begging for his lords to be alive and well.

His prayer was soon answered as he saw various figures rushing through the rain, climbing up the stairs built on the side of the cliff face to reach the entrance. His first instinct was to reach for his sword, but hope soon swelled in his heart as he recognized the person leading them; the Teyrna.

"They're back!" He shouted back so the others would hear him. Gasps of surprise and relief rang out as the survivor's voice their elation, many thanking the Maker. Gilmore couldn't stop the smile from forming on his lips as he saw them getting closer. "Are you alright my lady?"

Eleanor nodded wearily, as she stepped through the entrance. "We are fine, Ser Gilmore" Her voice did not match her statement. She was far from alright.

The knight looked back at the other people with her. He briefly was on alert the moment he saw an unknown tall aged warrior, but his lords seemed aware of his presence and did not shy away from him, that was all he needed to know. He sighed in relief as he saw, Lord Marcus entering, along with Lady Iona and the children along with Loke were following, the soldiers standing to their feet as they walked closer to check on them for any injuries.

It was then that Gilmore realized with dread two very important people were missing.

"Where is Lady Oriana?"

His question was met with silence.

Hope soon was replaced by horror. "Where is Lord Cousland...?"

Eleanor tried and failed to hold back several tears along with Marcus as they neared the brazier with Iona and the children. No words were said, but none were needed as a cold despair ran through all of the Cousland soldiers, Ser Gilmore, the Greybacks, servants, and Mother Mallol.

You rarely found nobles who were good, just, kind, and garnered such love and loyalty from his people like Bryce did. This was why fresh tears sprang from the eyes of many as they wept for their teyrn. He was a light to this world taken far too soon from it.

Miara bit back her rage as she finished healing a soldier. She turned and stood as Kodlak walked up to her; "Thank you old friend."

"You are most welcome, pup. Whatever is going on in these strange lands I know you will see through it and make things right."

At those words a snorted laugh came from Miara; "I wouldn't be Doom Driven otherwise."

Kodlak's body soon slowly started to fade as he chuckled; "Indeed, farewell Miara." And like a shadow he vanished.

"Till we meet again," the dark elf whispered as she wiped away a few tears.

Eleanor along with the rest saw the strange being known as Kodlak vanish and soon watched Miara; "I've met mages before. Never seen any with powers like yours."

"Safe to say the magic in Tamriel is quite different from here." Miara sighed as she kept her back to them; "and since you know that I'm a mage, best I show you this." All were suddenly greeted by Miara true looks with her Dunmeri grey skin and red eyes. "Felt it best to hide what I and my youngest children look like since we were unsure how anyone in Thedas would act. This is how my race of elves are; we are dunmer, Dark Elves"

No one said a word as they continued to stare at the now grey skinned elf; her red eyes met each of their gazes in turn.

It was the teyrna who first found her voice. "Tonight I lost my husband and my daughter-in-law" She spoke with grief as she held her grandson. "Our lands were taken from us, and my people killed like cattle. The color of your skin or your eyes barely warrants my attention right now" She tried to make her words not sound unkind, but the wound in her heart made it impossible to keep her voice steady or her words rational.

Eleanor sat down, her hold on little Oren tightening. He was slumbering now; the horrors of the day had been too much for him. At least she hoped that he would find respite in his dreams. "Keep your looks concealed as you have done, once you take your leave, it will save you many troubles"

"You presume I would leave you at a time like this" Miara replied, "I did not know Bryce for long, but in the time I've known him he proved to be an honorable man. What happened to your family was an injustice, one which I aim to help you correct"

"You have no stake in this, Miara" Marcus spoke, his voice broken and barely above a whisper. Iona held his hand tightly. "You don't have to do this"

"I said I would help you" The grey elf replied firmly, "And I intend to" Her words seemed to... resonate somehow. Almost in a physical sense, vibrating off the walls of the dwarven ruins.

The youngest son of the late teyrn looked at her for a moment, sincere gratitude shining in his otherwise mournful eyes, mouthing a quiet 'Thank you' before turning to his mother. "What do we do now?"

"We rest for the night," Eleanor spoke with finality in her voice; "After in the morning we figure out what must be done." No one contested the teyrna's words as Miara set up a rune spell at the cave entrance in case someone entered unannounced.

Loke faithfully laid beside his master allowing Amethyne to sleep on him. Soon others followed suit as all felt slumber take them save Miara who soon sat down against a wall with a long sigh; "Well this is a fucked up mess." She mumbled before finally closing her eyes.

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Though morning came the rain did not relent over the coast. Miara and several others had gone to hunt for some much needed food. Returning with some catches the meat cooked over the brazier while Eleanor paced as her son watched her. Around them soldiers and servants ate in silence save Loke who playing with Oren and Amethyne while Iona watched. Bless the smart Mabari to keep the children distracted from the horrors of last night.

Standing near them, Miara watched both as she ate beside the Greybacks. "What next?" The dark elf asked

"We have to go to Ostagar and inform King Cailan of Howe's treachery," Marcus stated while his mother kept pacing.

"Not all of us," Miara retorted gesturing to the children, Iona, and the servants along with Mother Mallol. "These people have no business near a battlefield."

"Which is why I have been thinking of someone who I know I can trust to grant us asylum," Eleanor spoke up as she kept walking around the brazier. "Someone whose loyalty Rendon can't buy. Bann Alfstanna, she is a dear friend" Eleanor spoke with certainty, "We can trust her"

"Howe was a friend" Marcus pointed out cynically.

Rage and sadness passed through her eyes before she regained control of her emotions, "Unlike Howe, she has a history that backs up my trust in her." She turns to face the surviving servants, "If you have any family, or some place you can stay, I encourage you to do so but be careful to whom you speak to about Highever. I dread the thought of Howe coming after you as well"

"I can go to the Chantry in Denerim" Mother Mallol spoke, "Tell the Grand Cleric, so she can take the matter to the proper people"

"Thank you" The teyrna replied with relief and gratitude.

"So that's the plan then" Ser Gilmore said, arms crossed. "Lord Marcus will look for his brother at Ostagar, while the teyrna and her family hide with bann Alfstanna"

The Cousland matriarch shared a confused look with her son, "You sound as though you won't be coming with us, Ser Gilmore" Eleanor pointed out.

The knight let out a long sigh, "Because I am not"

"Gilmore are-," Marcus stopped as the young knight raised his hand.

"I'm not going to do anything foolish like attacking Howe, my lord and Teyrna. I plan to observe and keep to the shadows, watch whatever Howe and his men do at Highever." The young knight stared at the ground; "Make myself useful."

"You're certain you wish to do this?" Eleanor asked with reservation as Gilmore nodded back with a steely gaze; "Then do absolutely nothing to draw attention on yourself."

"I'll go with him," A female soldier spoke which soon followed by several more spoke up to aid Ser Gilmore.

Miara admired them for their sense of duty and honor. It was not long as the plan was set. Eleanor with Iona and the children would be leaving to Bann Alfstanna with some servants and soldiers. Mother Mallol would head for Denerim to speak with the Grand Cleric. While Ser Gilmore and the rest of soldiers would stay in the shadows and observe Howe and his men. This left Marcus, Loke, and Miara to head for Ostagar to inform the king and search for Fergus.

Soon people dispersed from the ruins with Ser Gilmore and his group being the first after saying their farewells. Several servants bid tearful goodbyes to the Teyrna and young lord as they went back to their families. Mother Mallol remained as she would be following the teyrna half way then splitting off.

While Iona tearfully spoke to her future spouse who held a crying Amethyne with Loke whimpering quietly. Eleanor held her grandson as she spoke to Miara; "Ostagar will be the lion's den with the Darkspawn there."

"Nothing I'm not used to," the dark elf smirked while cleaning her blades; "I'll stay with Marcus and Loke till this is all over. And Rendon is facing justice. If that involves stopping Darkspawn as well I'll do it."

"May the Maker or your gods keep you, Miara" The teyrna nodded as she clasped hands with the woman who had done so much for them already. "Thank you"

"Go with the gods" The dunmer replied with soft nod of her head.

Meanwhile, Marcus whispered a few words to little Amethyne, promising to see her soon. He leaned down to kiss Iona's forehead as the three shared a desperate embrace. They had survived a tragedy only for them to be split, her beloved journeying straight into the war where danger was rife. But she had faith in him, and placed her trust on Miara and her mystical powers to keep him safe.

Eleanor met her youngest gaze, as soon as he let go of his fiancé and child he surrounded his mother and nephew with all his strength. Though Oren remained silent, the horrors of the night still fresh with him, he still clinged to his uncle for safety and comfort. The teyrna slowly let go of him, steeling herself and swallowing her pain. Now was not the time for pain, not when they still had so much to do.

Loke whined sadly as it all happened, to which Miara in pity for the loyal hound softly pet him.

"Stay strong, my child" Eleanor's words were filled with conviction. "You are Cousland after all"

"We shall have vengeance" The youngest son of Bryce swore, "For Highever"

No other words of goodbye were sent, except for the solemn gazes of his family before they turned to leave along with the rest of their escort. Marcus remained there for a few moments more, as though he wasn't comfortable with them abandoning his sight.

"It's a long journey to Ostagar" Miara brought him back to reality, a snap of her fingers and her skin and eye color changed once again. "We should move on"

Marcus took a deep breath before speaking, "Indeed. Let's go"

There was determination in his eyes, strength fueled by anger and loss. Miara approved of it; he'd need every last bit.

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The journey towards Ostagar was mostly a quiet one for the trio on the imperial highway. When it gotten dark they took camp in the forests with game they hunted for dinner. During that time Miara inspected the Cousland family sword which in her opinion was a remarkably beautiful blade. Having a length to match Dawnbreaker with ridges near the cross-guard, the hilt had leather grooves to be held one-handed. For the pommel was a well-crafted lion's head. Marcus explained it was made from the finest silverite by orders of his ancestor Haelia Cousland in the Black age to fight off a plague of werewolves.

At that Miara's browse rose but said nothing, no doubt the lord of the hunt passed through these lands for some fun.

Haelia had called the sword Engeram, and with it upon rallying the people went from Bann to Teyrna elevating the Cousland to who they were now. Though at present Marcus could attest that wasn't much thanks to Rendon Howe.

After several days of silent walking save sparse conversation, which was mostly Miara talking to Loke. The dark elf asked the young noble; "You've had some time to sort all this? How do you feel?"

"About as well as you might expect" Marcus replied warily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm still trying to think how to break the news to my brother" He sounded so lost, "I just... how can I even tell him that Howe betrayed us and took Highever, that our father is dead, that his wife is dead?" The expression on his face was one of hopelessness.

"There is no easy way" Miara shook her head in sympathy. "You need to be upfront and honest about the subject. What matters is that you are there to help deal with his grief"

There was wisdom in her words. "I guess you are right" He conceded, "At least he still has Oren..."

"He has you as well" The elf pointed out, "And your mother. There is great fortitude in your lineage; there is no doubt in my mind you all will pull through this and reclaim what's yours"

She sounded so certain...

He paused momentarily, taking in her words. "Thank you, Miara"

"I know very well what you're going through" She said, her voice a touch heavier than usual. "I too lost my home, long ago"

 _There had been an elven woman once; she lived on a simple town, alongside side good and honest folk…_

Marcus eyed her as she continued; "Remember the first great war with the Thalmor I told you about?" He nodded; "They destroyed the rural village I had lived for most of my life since I was a child." The memories felt like a long ago dream, but she recalled everything with clarity. "Ravenna we called it, a farming village near the province of Cheydinhal."

 _In the mornings the town smelled of wheat due to the bakery heating up the ovens early, the sounds that followed the rooster's call were that of the woman's hammer as she opened her smithing shop._

"Must have been boring for an adventurer like yourself."

 _The woman was always greeted with kind smiles and cheerful waves…_

The elf shook head; "Honestly I never saw myself as an adventurer in those days. I lived as an orphan till the old Orc who worked as our smith took me in and taught me the trade." Or became obsessed with it as Serana snarked once in a while. "The friends I grew up with stayed in the village and started their own lives and families. It hurt knowing I would outlive most them, watching them grow old, but said I'd look after their grandchildren when they passed. Life was very simple but I loved it..."

 _She started alone in an uncaring world, but a gruff large bellied smith of an orc took the young girl in, taught here everything there was to know of the craft. She fell in love with it and found her calling._

 _The face of that stubborn orc when she did something that exceeded his expectations, always so carefully guarded and gruff, telling her to do it over as the work was subpar even when she knew otherwise. He was always pushing her to be better._

 _She remembered a simple tailor; his eldest daughter would always take care of the rest of the town's children when their parents were too busy. She always sneaked out sweets for them in secret, many of which the elven woman blacksmith often gave to her._

 _An old retired soldier, whom the elven women once knew as a spry in his youth, would sit by on his porch, regaling stories of his adventures to any who would listen. He had inspired a sense of wonder in the world around her._

 _To an orphan girl the world was dark and frightening, but the simple random kindness of everyday people made it seem full of splendor and light._

 _Life was good._

 _Until..._

Miara's face slowly grew dark; "Then the war began. The Thalmor were relentless and before anyone knew it they were invading Cyrodiil. Ravenna had no guards posted from Cheydinhal because the Count at the time believed we would be ignored given our size." Her lower lip trembled as she shook her head; "He thought wrong. They killed everyone... Men, women, children; all were slaughtered. I tried to fight but was crippled by this one sadistic Thalmor who said with a smile 'I get to watch'." she paused for the longest time; "I watched them butcher everyone I ever knew, burning everything... And not one damn Imperial regiment came to help us."

 _The woman saw the tailor dead on the ground, the corpse of his daughter was far away from him, she could not reach him in time. The old warrior died on his feet, trying to protect his people._

 _The children… so innocent, so full of life… nobody should have taken it from them. The fires could not drown their screams._

 _The woman Miara had been died that day with her town. Left for dead amidst the smoldering ruins of the buildings, and the charred corpses of the folk she had known for so long…_

 _When she woke up, she was reborn as someone else, and all she felt… was rage._

 _The screams she let out could not have come from a mortal. A hint of what was to come, in hindsight._

The dunmer pushed those memories away with a deep breath. Her vengeance had been carried out, but she would never forget the pain, she would keep it close, as well as the smiling faces of that simple folk. So she would never allow injustice to go unpunished again… and so she wouldn't be led astray again.

Marcus was familiar with war stories; he heard many from his father and other veterans from the times of the rebellion. Some spoke with a distanced tone, having put those days behind them. Others remembered the glorious moments of battle, when they won their freedom back. Yet others would still carry grudges, anger and hate towards their old oppressors still fresh on their minds, they were the ones who had lived and seen firsthand the crimes committed against their people, the senseless pain inflicted on them by brutal tyranny.

And the woman before him was no different, it had scarred her deeply. Though he could tell the pain was old, she still clinged to it.

"Then their leader blasted me away with a spell and they left, they thought they had killed me" She let out a humorless snort, a predatory smile forming on her lips, "A mistake they would regret in the end"

"You do not sound as though you moved on, even if you claimed your vengeance" Marcus noted worriedly, fearing that might be his future.

"I hold that resentment close to my heart. Pain and hate are fantastic motivators" She replied, "The mark of righteous vengeance is being able to wield that anger without letting it blind you... A test which I failed, miserably" Her voice became forlorn and ashamed.

Marcus said nothing.

"My resentment was directed towards the wrong people, I told myself they were just as responsible as the Thalmor, another stepping stone to my revenge" She slowly shook her head, "I made mistake after mistake and many people suffered for them. Now I live to make up for them" Her fake blue eyes turned to face Marcus. "On the road to vengeance always remember who your true enemy is, lest you get innocent people hurt in the way"

Many innocents had died due to her rage and blind thirst for vengeance. No more, she had sworn. Not since her blade tasted the emperor's blood and she realized her mistake. She would spend the rest of her life trying to make things right.

The young Cousland could tell she was remorseful, deeply so from the tone of her voice and gaze in her eyes. "Whatever you did back then seems to me you had saved yourself from it. Turned your life around."

"Somewhat," Miara said quietly before she turned and stopped as she placed her hands on his arms; "I am the cautionary tale of what _not_ to do. Never allow the anger or the hate blind you from what you still hold in your heart. You have your mother, your nephew, your brother, Iona, Amethyne, even Loke." Said Mabari barked; "Never lose sight of them." She let go of Marcus and resumed walking; "And I'll make sure of it if I have to."

Gazing down at his faithful hound he patted Loke's head before catching up to the elven woman.

"Now" The elf continued, "Our next course of action is to warn the king and look for your brother. Do you think he will believe your claims?"

"He'll have no reason to believe otherwise" Marcus countered. "Howe isn't exactly popular with the court, and I know Cailan since we were children, he's touch adventure-hungry for his own good but has a good heart, and a good head on his shoulders whenever the situation actually calls for it"

"I heard he is touch on the young side" Miara remarked. It was a polite way of saying he didn't have the maturity necessary to lead a country.

"No more older than me" He replied, pursing his lips uncomfortably, "If I may be blunt with you, Anora is the true administrative of the nation. Most of the time Cailan is more interested in hearing about battles and going off around Ferelden doing as he pleases"

"At least he has honor if what you say is true" Miara said, "I believe now that he'll hear you out. The crown will take Howe to justice. Honestly, the more I think about it the less it looks like he was thinking things through. Just what did he think would happen after he attacked Highever? It'd all look incredibly disfavored on his part"

"Had he succeeded in killing us all off he'd likely invented whatever story he would have liked." Marcus spoke in a solemn tone; "As to why he did this. Your guess is as good as mine. Yes, Rendon was a difficult person to get along with but Fergus and I saw him like an uncle." The young noble rand his hand over his face; "None of this makes sense. None at damn thing…."

The Dunmeri woman patted his shoulder; "We will figure it out."

* * *

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* * *

It was mid-morning as the trio kept a steady pace for Ostagar. Conversation had grown between Marcus and Miara, though it was still light. The young Cousland hoping once this was all done and Howe was brought to justice that he could help rebuild Highever. But most importantly live a good life with Iona and Amethyne, have some children. Miara teased how his mother will both be overjoyed and spoil those future grandchildren silly.

The mood was better, if only just as they took notice of four figures walking a good distance ahead of them. Two being human, while the other two were elves, Marcus had recognized the older man in armor; "Duncan!"

Miara saw the human older man turned, taking note of his dark tanned skin and the thick dark beard, but most of the silver armor he wore. It looked custom made to fit the wearer's preferences much like her own plates over leather. The man looked at the young noble with surprise, "Lord Cousland" He spoke in a strong rich voice, "I was lead to believe it'd be your father and brother who would be joining us at Ostagar. And with their soldiers" He noted that it was just the young man and an elven woman; there was no entourage with them. "What are you doing here?"

His gaze darkened as sadness and rage overtook him for a moment, "It's... You see, what happened-" He could barely find the words.

He stopped when Miara put a comforting hand on his arm, her understanding gaze pretty much telling him that she could explain it to them if he wanted to. But the renewed firmness in Marcus' expression told her otherwise, he took in a deep breath and began.

When he was done, the Warden and his recruits were all wide eyed and horrified at hearing the fate that had befallen Highever and the Cousland family. "I never thought arl Howe would do something like this" Even the Warden Commander's usually calmed voice carried disgust. "All those years of friendship with your father..."

"It meant nothing to him apparently" The blue eyed noble spat in loathing, "If not for my friend here, I don't think many us could have gotten out alive"

"It was very noble of you, miss..." Duncan prompted.

"Miara Redoran" The elf introduced herself with a bow.

The eyes of the male elf in his group widened with recognition, "I remember you. You appeared one day in the Alienage. Told everyone you came from beyond the sea"

Neria eyes and ears perked up as she looked to Gin; "And you didn't tell us?"

"A lot had happened since then."

The dunmer women gazed at the elven man before smiling all too sweetly; "Weren't the young man that was standing in a corner while I talked, rolling your eyes and sighing, muttering how they were just 'silly stories'"

Gin ran a hand through his brown locks nervously. "You heard that?"

"I hear everything" The foreign elf replied ominously, her smile still unnerving. "I found it very rude, young man" Miara always took delight in messing with people from time to time; it was fun making someone sweat.

"Uh" The city elf was suddenly reminded this woman was taller than he was, it really emphasized how she was looking down at him. Not even his father on a lecture back when he was a kid could intimidate him like that. "I-I'm very sorry. My name is Gin Tabris ma'am."

Brianna rolled her eyes as she gave the foreign elf a polite bow; "Brianna Amell. And this is my longtime friend Neria Surana."

The young elven mage gazed at the taller elf with almost wonder in her eyes; "Where are you from?"

"Tamriel my dear," Miara smirk garnering not too surprising questioning looks from three out of the four. "Can tell you're on the way to Ostagar."

It was about that time numerous screeches were heard as everyone saw a colony of bats fly overhead Duncan brow rose as they flew into the forest; "If I did not think I was being paranoid I'd swear those bats have been following us since Denerim."

"Indeed?" The Tamriel elf remarked with an unreadable tone, watching as they disappeared behind the trees. "I'll be right back"

"Where are you going?" Marcus asked as he and the others watched her.

"To talk with the bats!" She loudly replied as she disappeared into the foliage.

The others were, to say the least, confused.

"Is she serious?" The human mage droned.

* * *

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* * *

The chirping of bird on the trees was accompanied by the sounds of footsteps over the grass, and the strong voice of a rather impatient elven woman.

"So this is the Warden you were trailing huh?" Her voice resonated through the woods. "Heard how some asshole spoiled brat was killed, horribly I might add, in Denerim. Was that you're doing?"

" _Perhaps_ " Came a melodious disembodied voice.

"Not really the time for games, Serana" Miara said tiredly, "I'd like to talk face to face"

" _Who says I'm not in front of you right now~?_ " Once again, the voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere.

The elf grinned, "The hot breath I feel on my neck is just the wind?"

She heard a hiss in her ear, "It would be so easy to just... bite down and feast upon your magnificent blood"

Miara turned, meeting the fiercely red-orange eyes of her lover with an easy going smile. "Your flask has been running empty I see. You looked thirsty"

"Famished" The words were nearly growled out. A pale hand reached up to tenderly hold the elf's cheek. "I've missed you these last few days"

Miara chuckled softly, bringing her lips upon the vampire's in a gentle kiss. "Later my sweet, you'll just have to wait a bit more and then you can have all the blood you want"

"Ohhh" Serana feigned disappointment as she rested her forehead against the dunmer's. "So unfair..."

Miara let out a soft moaning purr as she felt her lover's hand caress her stomach before going over her back, sending shivers as a finger trailed through all the sweet spots on her spine before going lower and slowly taking a hold of her rump. Serana's other hand sensually and slowly massaging her lover's breasts. "No time for fun?" The vampire princess purred with hunger in her eyes.

It took all of the Dunmer's will not to throw Serana to the ground and have her way with her. "Afraid not my love." she gave a quick kiss to her Nordic lover; "We have to play serious for a while."

At that Serana bit back a groan; "I hate that game."

"Come on, lets introduce you." Miara said leaving the forest with a smirk.

The Nordic vampire felt her lips upturn. Oh the reaction of her little thief will be fun to see.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Gin felt the blood in his body turn to ice with Neria taking noticed with some worry; "You okay?"

Marcus lifted a brow as Miara walked out with a hooded cloak woman moving beside her; "Everyone! This is Serana Volkihar, my partner."

"Partner?" Humor came from the Nordic woman's voice with a cocked brow.

The dunmer rolled her eyes; "All right, she is the love of my life and the most gorgeous creature walking on Nirn itself."

"You forgot to say who is also smarter than you."

"No I didn't..."

Oh Gin's reaction was better than Serana could have imagined, she almost laughed at the poor boy who looked ready to run for the hills; "Hello~" She smiled sweetly as she waved at everyone.

"I thought you said Serana was in Denerim," Marcus lifted a brow at the tall woman. Sweet maker no wonder she would be mistaken for an Avvar.

"Oh I was," Serana smiled cheerfully which only made Gin more terrified as she and Miara approached. "But I was getting curious so I left to wander around your glorious land which looks quite lovely by the way. And you all are?"

Serana was a good liar, part of being a vampire was lying about her nature after all, and to them her eyes were a normal green in color. Her acting abilities were superb if you were to ask her (Miara was always quick to rebuke that statement), so it was very easy to pretend this was the first time hearing their names. Marcus filled the Nordic woman on why he and Miara with Loke were walking to Ostagar. "So, quite the mess you got yourself into. Again" The dark haired woman replied dryly.

"You know I never look for trouble"

"Well that's because you don't need to, it always follows you" She said sardonically, before smiling at the young noble, "Perhaps you would like another blade fighting at your side in Ostagar"

"If you're half as good as Miara, then it'd be insane not to have you there" Marcus replied with a friendly smile.

"Hah! Oh honey, 'half as good' does not even begin to describe me"

Brianna lifted a brow as she leaned beside Neria; "She's quite sure of herself."

The young elven mage smiled back before glancing back to Gin who still bore a terrified expression; "Seriously are you alright?"

* * *

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* * *

Deciding to join their group together Duncan with his recruits, Marcus, Miara, Loke, and now Serana continued forth to Ostagar. During the travel Gin explained his visible apprehension towards the arrival of Serana while also explaining what he did back in the alienage to keep him and his family clothed and fed.

And that he tried to steal Serana's coin purse.

Though Neria wanted to speak her disapproval of Gin's thievery, she recalled the harsh life in the alienage before being taken to the Kinloch Hold. So she said nothing along with Brianna who had been told by Neria and few elven colleagues at the circle about the Denerim Alienage. Marcus also said nothing knowing what Iona had told him of that dreadful place. He never did understand why Cailan nor Anora did not properly fix the Alienage.

As for Miara she praised the young elven man for finding the initiative to do whatever he could to provide. Serana only smiled at Gin stating; "You're a good lad who tried the best he could for his family. I hold no grudges." And left it at that.

Gin had loosened up from those words while the Dunmer and Nord began to converse with Duncan. The Ferelden Commander listened with great interest about the lands of Tamriel along with the two circle mages close by. Relief shone in his eyes as he was glad in hearing that neither the Blight nor Darkspawn had any presence in that country.

For Miara and Serana they got to learn some history of the Grey Wardens from an actual Warden. Learning truths over idle gossip and rumors was a good thing. During the conversation Duncan asked if either they or Marcus would like to join the Warden for which all three politely refused. Marcus stating while he will aid the efforts in Ostagar, finding his brother and stopping Howe was his focus.

They made one small stop in the town of Lothering, upon which they had met Sofie. Their 'little girl' as Serana had put it. Said little girl was a grown woman the size of a tall avvar with the muscles to match. The eldest daughter of their family had been protecting Lothering for some time now, as it was plagued with a myriad of problems thanks to the advance of the Darkspawn horde. Fearing for the town's safety, Sofie opted to follow them to Ostagar where the battle to push the beasts back would take place.

The road became filled with forests and swamps, the further south they traveled the colder the weather became. From the course they had taken when sailing away from Tamriel, Miara deduced that Thedas must located in the southern hemisphere whereas Tamriel was further up. As in Tamriel if one were to travel south they would reach the hot and tropical nations of the continent, while in Thedas the hotter and more tropical climates were located in the north.

As Neria explained to them, Ostagar was built to hold back the forces of the barbarians by the Tevinter Imperium at the height of their power. "Further south lies the Sunless Lands" She said, "Only the wilders inhabit them, from what I read it's a very harsh frozen place. Not many in history had dared venture beyond"

Serana frowned at that; "So, not all of Thedas is explored?"

"Far from it" The elven mage said, "The Sunless Lands are not the only place. The mountain range to the west stops us from seeing if there is land beyond them. The jungles of the Donoraks are known only to Tevinter, and even then they haven't ventured all the way through. The islands in the north of the Boeric Ocean are said to be inhabited, but not much contact has been made with them. More famously there are stories about colonization attempts beyond the Amaranthine Ocean, the sailors having called the land beyond it 'Amaranth' which is said to be devoid of any sentient species and all thedosian attempt of colonization have failed. Legends tell that later expeditions found former settlements empty and that the only survivor was driven mad by something and killed himself a short time after being discovered"

"Well I can tell you they didn't reach Tamriel, that's for certain" Miara spoke, "We are very much filled with multiple sentient species. Besides, when we traveled to Thedas we came from the north-east, we didn't come from the direction of the Amaranthine Ocean"

Neria's scholarly mind was very much intrigued, "So you don't know of any lands to the east"

"Bellow Tamriel? It's possible, but we haven't ventured there much. The sea elves might have though, but they are not exactly a very forthcoming people. I do know that beyond Tamriel to the east is the land of Akavir, which going by the size and curvature of the planet-"

"Curvature" The city elf questioned aloud, "You mean the world is round?"

"Yes" The Tamriel elf quickly said without much fanfare before continuing, "-should place the land of Akavir to the north-west of Thedas beyond the oceans..." Her expression soon morphed to one of worry, "Oh... just realized that Akavir might be as close to Thedas as they are to Tamriel... that is not a comforting thought"

Brianna leaned forward as they walked; "That a bad thing?"

"Well the times Akavir and Tamriel interacted it was invasions and war. The Akaviri are a very warlike and dangerous folk" Miara said honestly while thinking she might have to speak with her father whenever she had free time. "But they have been quiet for a very long time now."

Duncan rubbed his beard; "Let us hope it stays that way. The Darkspawn are enough of a problem to deal with at the present moment."

"But it might be best to inform the king once this business in Ostagar is done," Marcus spoke while petting his war hound's head. "Least be made aware of the many lands outside Thedas and which ones pose a possible threat."

Sofie glanced to her mothers'; "Don't we have a current map of the known countries and islands around Tamriel?"

"Not with us right now though sadly," Serana shook her head.

Gin let out a deep breath; "The world is really a huge place." Much bigger than from all he known was the Alienage in Denerim.

It was not long before they could see the tip of a tower in the distance. Further they walked the more they saw the impressive size of the tower which was surrounded by ancient ruined buildings, statues, and large stone wall. The Tevinter architecture was a beautiful sight and showed the skill it works like this and the Imperial highway remained in such a preserved state.

Serana let out an impressed whistle, "Very nice. Reminds me of some of ruins in Cyrodiil from the Reman period"

"Woah" Brianna let out a breath of awe, "Never in my entire life did I think I'd ever see something like this"

There was history here, thousands of years of it, the memories that must be reflected in the Fade, and the battles that took place. Oh she could just imagine the spirits re-enacting them all. She could have never visited a place like this while under the Chantry's thumb, the thought of going around the world, seeing more sights like this; it brought an ever present smile to her face.

Neria did not share her friend's optimism; all she could see was the place where a great battle will take place. She was terrified, having never truly participated in a fight before, she felt as though she might forget every lesson she had about defensive and offensive magic.

Gin felt like he was witnessing the Circle Tower all over again, the rest of the world beyond the alienage felt like a very distant land. So strange and unknown, and he was just an elf who drew the short end of the stick, from street rat to Grey Warden, maybe they'd sing songs about him one day. About the unlucky bastard who was way in over his head.

The scion of house Cousland took in a deep breath, his brother was here and it fell to him to deliverer the news of the tragedy...

But it would have to wait, as they passed through the marble arcs of the area where the great tower stood, they were received by a most unusual welcoming party. Two soldiers in large heavy plates flanking a man donning an armor made out of volcanic aurum which gave it a distinguished golden tint. His features were regal, with the fairest blonde hair and a charming smile on his lips.

"Ho there Duncan!" The man welcomed him with great cheer. "I was wondering when you would show up!"

"King Cailan!" The Warden-Commander exclaimed in surprised, "I certainly wasn't expecting-"

"-a royal welcome?" The ruler of Ferelden smirked, "I feared you'd miss all the fun!"

The word 'king', echoed over and over through his recruits' heads, their eyes widening in surprise as years of education drilled into their heads took effect. Gin, Neria and Brianna went down on one knee, bowing their heads reverently. "My king" The city elf spoke, this was one noble he should show the utmost respect.

He half expected him to bask in the gesture, perhaps make an insulting comment about his ears. Instead, to his surprise, the king laughed it off. "Are these your recruits Duncan? On your feet, friends! Grey Wardens answer to no kings after all"

They slowly did so; the king certainly appeared very... approachable.

Miara and Serana gave the young king a long critical eye as he greeted each warden recruit with respect and youthful reverence. Sofie absently whispered to herself; "He is quite handsome." making both her mothers' respectfully roll their eyes.

As Cailan finished speaking to a surprised Brianna he noticed someone standing not far behind them. "Marcus?"

The Cousland gave a respectful bow; "Your majesty." He walked up to the king while Loke remained beside Miara. "I have some news for you." His voice grim catching the attention of the king.

By the time Marcus finished blood had drained from Cailan's face as horror etched in his eyes; "By Andraste..." he breathed out as he ran his hand over his mouth. "What kind of madness struck Rendon to do such a thing?"

"I do not know your highness. But he was determined to end the line of Cousland that night." Marcus's voice was hollow as he shook his head.

Shock soon turned to steel cold rage as Cailan's eyes burned with anger; "Marcus I swear to you once the Darkspawn are defeated Rendon will be brought to justice for this crime." The righteousness in his voice and resolve was quite impressive to the three from Tamriel while the three recruits at that moment saw a far more regal disposition than he had shown before.

Marcus bowed his head with the utmost gratitude, "Thank you, your majesty" At least he assured that his father and his people would be avenged.

"But" The king clicked his tongue, "I regret to inform you that your brother is not here at the moment. He is heading a scouting mission through the wilds; we don't expect him to return for a day or two. And from the reports the Darkspawn horde is drawing ever near, he might miss the battle entirely"

"I see" The young Cousland pursed his lips, "I'm not sure I can face him after..."

"I'm sure you did all you could" Cailan said, placing an understanding hand over his shoulder. "For now, clear your head. If you are to participate in the battle we need you focused. Just imagine each of those Blighters is Howe"

Marcus thought it over for a second, "Then I fear I will slaughter them all before you even have a chance, your highness"

"Ha!" The king barked a laugh, "There's the Cousland spark" His attention was soon drawn over to the three women at the back of the group, "And who are these ladies with you, Duncan? More recruits?"

"Allies more accurately, my lord" The Warden-Commander replied.

"Greetings" The king wasted no time in approaching them, he paused momentarily when he realized he had to look up at Serana and Sofie, mostly the latter. "Oh wow... I mean" He quickly cleared his throat nervously, much to their amusement. "I am King Cailan; might I know your names my ladies?"

Miara gave him a short bow with a hand over her chest, "I am Miara Redoran, and this is Serana Volkihar and our daughter Sofie"

Cailan's eyes silently went over the vampire, the younger nord and then finally at the elf once again. The look on his face as he tried to process the information was rather hilarious.

"I'm adopted" The tall nord warrior supplied with a smile.

"Ah!" He made a noise of understanding as realization dawned on him. The young monarch cleared his throat while amusement danced on the three ladies' expressions; "I bid you three welcome. It's rare seeing Avvar outside your lands in the Frostback Mountains." Cailan turned his eyes to Miara who grinned at him; "Nor have I seen any elf like yourself. Are you from Rivain?"

"Well I can say I'm not from Rivain, nor is my lover and our daughter Avvar. Their people are called Nords while I myself am a Dunmer, a Dark Elf. And we hail from the distant shores called Tamriel."

Cailan's brow rose pass his hairline as surprise and an almost child-like wonder shone in his eyes. "Truly..." The armored guards of the king tensed up. "I-I never thought we would never meet anyone from across the seas."

Serana's lips quirked; "Glad to be proven wrong your highness?"

"Very much so."

"Whatever questions you have we will gladly answer to you once the threat of the Darkspawn are dealt with. Our skills are at your disposal your majesty." Miara gave a small bow along with Serana and Sofie.

"I can vouch for Miara skills my lord," Marcus spoke up; "She is the reason many of the Cousland guard and servants are alive."

"A word of a Cousland is good enough for me," Cailan smiled; "You are free to roam the camp and get any supplies you may need. I'll send the word"

"You are very gracious, we thank you," Sofie responded with a smile back.

"There have already been a few skirmishes with the Darkspawn, but nothing our forces can't handle so far" The king turned back to the Warden-Commander, "So; our scouts have yet to report any sight of the Arch-Demon. I'm starting to doubt this is a true Blight at all"

"The Arch-Demon is present your majesty" Duncan promised without a shred of doubt, "Of that I can assure you"

"Well I certainly hope so" He said with a wide smile. Though his eagerness for such a being to appear unnerved the others. "That way it'll be like the tales of old, the brave soldiers and lords fighting alongside the Grey Wardens" He said dreamily.

That... was a very bad attitude to have when preparing for war, the dunmer in disguise thought worriedly. All thoughts of glory had to be pushed away in favor of cold logical planning; wanting for your enemy to actually be that much of a threat was the height of folly. Many a general had perished in the battlefield and sentenced their forces to death by taking the most inappropriate choices just so they could earn fame and glory.

Cailan seemed to be a charismatic young man, but he still had much to learn about leading people it seemed.

"Now" The king spoke, "I should get back to my duties. It was my pleasure meeting you all" He bid them farewell with a nod as his took off with his royal guards.

Having a good distance away from the group Neria weakly spoke up; "Who in their right mind would actually want to face an Arch-Demon?" Her voice slightly fearful and wary.

Duncan only groaned as Miara soon stood beside him and Marcus; "He has a lot of growing to do." The dark elf crossed her arms under her bust.

"While his youthful enthusiasm should not be set for this current situation. I feel this battle should help guide him to rule Ferelden better." Duncan spoke up noticing Loke beside him and patted the Mabari's head. He could never resist a mabari's charm.

At that Miara nodded; "I agree; I see a good king in that young man. This battle can help shape him into it."

Gin glanced to Brianna and Neria before turning to the Warden Commander; "What now Duncan?"

"Right now you three are free to roam the camp, gather supplies. You will also need better gear; the Warden Camp will provide you with armor. There are two other recruits who have been waiting along with a young Warden by the name of Alistair. When you're done, seek him out."

The recruits nodded while Sofie stretched; "Well guess we can see what the folks here are like." She grinned as she walked off.

Miara glanced over to Marcus; "You should have that armor looked over. Maybe get some new gear too."

"After I speak with Loghain, he will want to know what happened." The young Cousland said before walking away with Loke following.

Duncan excused himself as he made for the Warden Camp. The three recruits stood at the entrance of Ostagar as they felt the reality of situation slowly dawning on them. Brianna rubbed her hands; "Well this will be an interesting day."

Serana snorted; "You can admit that you're nervous dear."

"I'm not nervous," The young Amell said quickly before sighing; "Maybe a little nervous." Oh who was kidding she was terrified! But like hell would she say it out loud.

"Any sane person would be," Miara clarified with a smirk; "You three will be alright."

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Brianna had half a mind to make a little dance in front of the two Templars that stood guard before the mages' camp. Anything to mock them really, the thought of them being unable to touch her was almost too irresistible. But alas, her fantasies would have to remain fantasies for the time being, best not to aggravate their allies in the fight. She paid more attention to the mages, seeking to spot anyone she would be familiar with, and noticed they who were conducting a ritual, Brianna frowned upon recognizing the type, they were trying to commune with spirits of the Fade. Things must truly be dire if the Templars would allow them to seek council from the denizens of the land of dreams.

Neria's focus was far from being centered on her fellow mages, but rather on a very particular one whom she knew all too well. She gulped at the sight of that familiar white hair done in a ponytail, the wizened visage in her experienced face dressed in crimson robes with golden lining. The elven mage knew she would be in Ostagar but... now that she saw her teacher did Neria realize she had no idea how to approach her. How could she even begin to explain what had transpired in the tower, the role she had in breaking Jowan out?

She could already feel that disapproving frown.

Neria tugged at Brianna's sleeve for support, making the human mage turn to see what she was seeing. Her eyes widening momentarily, "Oh right... Wynne's here"

"We must talk to her"

"Must we?" Brianna rhetorically asked, "You already know what she's going to say..."

The elven mage's ears dipped as she knew as well. Oh she could hear the lecture in her mind but she had to see her former mentor and let her know. Amell groaned as her longtime started walking but she soon followed.

Since she was as much to blame for Jowan running off she might as well get this over with.

Tending to her stave, the senior enchanter felt as prepared for the battle as she'd ever be. Certainly far more prepared than to listen to Uldred's rants. He'd do well to leave those libertarian talks back at the Circle, dealing the Darkspawn was far more important than wanting to throw more accusations against the Chantry and Templars.

"Wynne..."

The elderly mage paused as a young voice spoke her name with wariness. A voice she knew full well, she looked up and saw her former apprentice looking at her with Brianna at her side. "Neria? Brianna? Why are you two here? I thought you were to receive your Harrowing my dear?"

"I did," the elven mage said quickly with a smile before frowning while she held her stave uneasily; "And then me and Brianna became Grey Wardens..."

"WHAT!?" A few people walking around the camp stopped at Wynne's outburst before returned to what they were doing. The senior enchanter cleared her throat as she calmed down; "Care for either of you to explain this?"

Brianna bit back a groan while her friend told the elder mage of what happened in Kinloch Hold. Helping Jowan destroy his Phylactery and then learning he was blood mage. As Amell had expected Wynne gave both a disappointed expression which made Neria wince.

"Honestly what had gotten into you two?" Wynne placed her hands on her hips with a sigh.

"Please don't start," Brianna spoke with a strained calm trying to be polite for Neria's sake. "We had no idea Jowan actually was practicing Blood Magic. But Tranquility is a fate worse than death, so we did it."

"Jowan was always a good boy" Wynne said regretfully, "I cannot believe he would dabble..." She gave sorrowful shake of her head before staring reproachfully at the two, "Blood Magic or not, you should have known better than to break the rules of the Circle like that"

"Oh yes" It was becoming increasingly hard to keep the frustration building up inside her, "Because doing what the Templars and the Chantry tells you is far more important than standing up for a friend"

The Senior Enchanter frowned at the Amell, "You always were too headstrong for your own good, Brianna"

Oh Andraste. Brianna really did not like Wynne, always the Chantry apologetic, always disapproving of her whenever she spoke up against the most unreasonable practices and actions the Templars would take. Sometimes she couldn't see how Neria was so taken with her, soaking up everything that came out of her mouth and taking it as wisdom.

At least she wouldn't have to deal with high and mighty attitude anymore.

"Even if the circumstances aren't the best" The elven mage said softly, "I'm... really glad to see you, Wynne" Her life had been thrown upside down, so to see her dear teacher again was comforting. Wynne's words, her lessons, they always carried a great sense of reason with them, knowledge she could always rely on. "I... have no idea what I'm doing. Wynne I've barely been in a fight before. What do I do?"

Wynne always had the right answer.

"I cannot tell you that, Neria"

Until now.

Her green eyes widened slightly in surprise at the blunt words.

The elder mage continued, "You can teach someone how to attack and how to defend, but the physical battlefield is much different than battling a demon in the Fade. You can train all you want, but the truth of the matter is that all your practice will mean nothing until you finally fight for the first time"

"Oh" Her gaze fell down in disappointment. So much for Wynne dispelling her fears...

"I am sorry I do not have the answers you want, Neria. But this is not something you can prepare yourself like you would for a test, studying until you understand the knowledge, you need to live through. All you can do is take a leap"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Steel struck against steel as soldiers used blunt weapons for sparring and training in an open area within the camp. Some trained in their armor while others chose not while a tall muscular woman with bright red hair bound at the nape, fair skin, and blue eyes, donning a steel plate of armor yelled out instructions in a stern voice.

"Keep that shield up!" the woman barked with deep husky tone. "If you wound a Darkspawn you do not want their blood to enter your mouth or you're as good as dead!"

Aveline Vallen, sergeant of the Ferelden army, oversaw the practice with a critical eye. Not soon after they began a massive women named Sofie had asked to join in. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth Aveline agreed and so the nordic woman had been sparring with a young man with pale skin, strong features and build, with short black hair like her own and blue eyes.

Their blunt greatswords struck each other fiercely, matching the others movements.

The young man had spirit in him; his technique could use a little polishing though. The redheaded woman could tell he was mostly self-taught, but the talent there was undeniable. Meanwhile, that Sofie was meeting his blows evenly.

Too evenly if one were to ask her.

The speed and strength of her blows was around the man's own level, but Aveline had enough experience to tell when someone was holding back, you could tell by how stiff the movement of their arms was, forcefully reigning back their own strength. Sofie wasn't fighting at the young man's level because they were equally matched, but because she wanted the spar to last longer.

Aveline reckoned the tall woman could easily overpower him if she so choose.

"That all you got?!" The black haired young man shouted, "I've gotten best fights out of wrestling in the mud with pigs!"

Bravado and taunting words were usual when sparring and fighting, though this youth seemed rather certain of his chances in an actual fight with her. The growing smirk on Sofie's lips told Aveline he was about to be in for a rude awakening.

The strong muscles on Sofie's arms rippled as she forced the young man's blade down, much to his surprise. She promptly let one hand go off the handle; still having enough strength to keep their blades locked in with just one arm, and punched him square in the jaw. The blow sending his body stumbling to the ground.

A man resting beside them snickered; "Got your arse handed to you Carver." A few others chuckled as the young Carver groaned slowly getting to his feet.

"Oh shut it!"

Sofie chuckled; "You got skill for someone self-taught. Just need some proper training and we can fight evenly."

"You don't pull punches Avvar." Carver rubbed his jaw before grabbing his sword; "Go again?!"

Well you had to admire his eagerness to keep fighting. Sofie respected that before she remembered something as she looked right at Carver; "You wouldn't be the same Carver who has two sisters in Lothering named Bethany and Marian?"

Carver's brow rose; "You know my sisters?"

"I was in Lothering for a bit before coming here with my mothers. Marian said look for the dumb ass."

"OI!" A round of raucous laughter washed over the area from the soldiers while Carver glared and growled.

"They send their love," Sofie giggled rather enjoying the sour look from the man. Some people could made it too easy to tease.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

A small crowd of soldiers sat on broken stones or the ground while a man in leather armor walked around two corpses. Sitting with the soldiers Miara and Serana held back their disgust as they witnessed their first Darkspawn corpse.

These things were wrong on every single sense. Miara had heard long stories of the Corprus, coincidentally also named the Blight in the past. A corruption that drove living creatures to madness and even warped their bodies to grotesque forms. But Miara understood the true nature of the Corprus was a 'divine disease', created by Dagoth Ur to turn the entirety of Tamriel into god-like beings with the power of the Heart of Lorkahn, the more severe cases of the Corprus being due the mortal bodies unable to withstand the sheer power.

But looking at a Darkspawn up close... Miara could in no way call this Blight 'divine'. The dry black blood from its wounds felt like corruption at its finest. Like something had been spat from the blackest lowest bowels of Oblivion, twisting the flesh and creating abominations against life.

Dawnbreaker was burning furiously at her hip; the sword was offended by these things mere existence.

"Do you feel that?" Serana whispered to her, "Gods I can feel the corruption from here. It's like Peryite and Namira fucked and this thing is what they spawned."

The elf had to take a deep breath, "Thank you for the mental image..."

Murmur spoke among the crowd of soldiers before the man in leathers cleared his throat; "Alright I want you all quiet as I explain what we have here. Now I know you lot heard about the Darkspawn, but there are varying types and I've been tasked to instruct you lot." He paused as everyone was silent and paid attention; "Now, let me make this clear. Do not. Get any Darkspawn blood in your mouth or any open wounds or cuts. If you do, you will die. Salvation would be only two options, death or becoming a Grey Warden. Darkspawn blood is extremely toxic so no one touch these bodies, we will be burning them once this is done."

Which meant no biting or drinking their blood, and Serana was quite okay with it. From the strength of the corruption they could feel from their seats, she would either die or be turned into a monster.

The man gestures to the two monstrosities in front of him; "This is a Hurlock and Genlock. The Hurlock being the height of humans while Genlock the height of dwarves. These two types will be the main bulk of the Darkspawn that's coming."

"Don't let their rusty armor and weapons fool you, it's ugly but dangerous, just like the Blighters themselves." The sergeant explained, tapping at the hurlock's shoulder pad with the tip of his sword. "The beasts might be savage with how they fight, they absolutely have no sense of self preservation, and will charge head first into the enemy line. But that doesn't mean they don't know how to use strategy. Usually that falls to the Alphas and the Emissaries, the first are some kind of highly intelligent Darkspawn leader. They give orders to groups of the horde, while the Emissaries are mages" Whispers of worry rang out through the line of soldiers, "Yes, yes believe me I know, as if these damn things weren't dangerous enough. So if you see a Darkspawn slinging lights around put an arrow in its head"

Miara raised her hand, "Does killing an Alpha disrupt the Darkspawn's unit cohesion?"

"Somewhat" The sergeant nodded, "The damn blighters can still function without one, but their strategy is more rudimentary and crude, so you can forget about them trying to outflank you or trick you."

The elf and the vampire filed that information away.

"Now" The Ferelden soldier resumed, "There are a few other types of Darkspawn, you'll most likely find the subspecies of genlocks, they have a bulkier build and walk on all fours with their hands, they are just bruisers whose only job is to attack with raw strength. But these are not the only subgroups of Darkspawn, you have also have shrieks, damn fast and nimble, they fight like rogues. And perhaps most dangerous of all, the ogres" The put more emphasis into the world, "Those things are ten feet tall, pure muscle, and have enough strength to rip you in half with their bare hands. Do not, I repeat DO NOT try to engage an ogre alone. We can thank the Maker those things are not as numerous as the rest of the bloody 'Spawns..."

The two from Tamriel and the Ferelden soldiers listened to every detail the sergeant gave more details on what was known on the Darkspawn for which Miara and Serana listened to every words spoken. Now more than ever did the words of the young Altmer seer rang true to how insidious these monsters were.

None of these abominations must ever reach the shores of their home. Or a disaster as horrifying as the Corprus would infect all the lands and people there. The burning of Dawnbreaker at her hip spoke what Miara's mind had concluded.

The Darkspawn must be eradicated.

"Now that should be all the lessons for everyone. Remember what you have been told," the sergeant addressed as everyone stood.

As Miara stood she drew Dawnbreaker. Serana tensed while the people around her along with the Sergeant take notice of the elven woman's sword glowing so bright it looked as if flames covered the blade. The gem at the guard glowed like the sun as she walked over towards the Spawn.

"What kind of magic sword is that?" a female soldier asked in wonderment. It was a sentiment her peers shared while Serana took a few steps back.

"A sword that burns away the darkness." Miara simply stated before stabbing both Darkspawn corpses. The group around her jumped as the bodies were engulfed in golden flames and within minutes the tainted creatures blackened and turned into ash.

Shock rang out from the crowd; "By the Maker did you see that!" a man yelled.

Another voice made itself heard "Her sword destroyed the Darkspawn!"

"I've seen the silverite enchanted swords of the Wardens at work" The sergeant slowly said in disbelief, "But they were nowhere near as powerful against the Blighters as that sword is. My lady, you must have the Maker's very own sword in your hand"

At that, the elf let out a short laugh, "Or something like that"

Meridia had made her sentiments on the matter clear; Burn the abominations, destroy every single one of them.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Far as Marcus tried to recall, there were few instances in which he had seen Loghain without his armor. The war trophy he had taken from a fallen chevalier all those years ago seemed to be a part of him nowadays. The steel grey plates looked as polished as ever, the carvings of the lions in his shoulder pads were still detailed, and the red accents in the chainmail around his legs remained colorful. Though outdated, the Orlesian craftsmanship still endured, as extravagant and flamboyant as it always had been.

Though in his mid-years the hero of River Dane still had a drive younger men wished for. His black eyes stern which shone with experience and wisdom. His skin fair with shoulder length raven colored hair.

He slowly approached the teyrn's tent; it was large enough to fit a few chairs and a desk, this one filled with various reports from all fronts of the fortress. No doubt work Cailan had passed to his father-in-law. Marcus had to admit Loghain looked more at home during a war than he ever did in the court, as he sat in front of his desk, surveying the newest piece of Intel with a critical eye.

As soon as he approached the soldier standing guard stopped him from advancing further. "They teyrn is busy, state your business"

He didn't have time to reply, as the guard's words made Loghain turn see what was going on. Recognition shone in his eyes as he stood, "Ah, Marcus. I was informed you arrived" He motioned to the soldier to step aside, which he did dutifully with a hand to his chest. "Come on in, boy. Take a seat"

"It's good to see you again, my lord" The young Cousland spoke respectfully as he sat in front of the older man.

"You too" He replied with a polite smile, which slowly vanished as a concerned frown replaced it. "I... was told what happened at Highever. I'm so sorry"

"Ah" Marcus made a soft sound of understanding, running a hand over his dark locks. "Cailan told you then"

"He figured you were tired of recalling those events" Loghain said, "He has a good heart, now if only he could put that same foresight into his tactical skills" He said with a hint of humor in his voice.

"Heh" Marcus let out a soft laugh, "He may yet surprise us, and he's still young. I'm sure King Maric too gave you trouble in your younger days"

Loghain let out an explosive breath, looking as though Maric's antics were still pushing the limits of his patience to this day. "Oh you have no idea..."

Conversing for a good thirty minutes, the Teyrn and general of the Ferelden armies explained the perpetration and plan to dealing with this large horde of Darkspawn. Marcus could hear the dismissive tone upon mentioning this being a Blight.

"Has any Arch-Demon been spotted in the Wilds?" the young Cousland asked. Lying beside him Loke rested his head on his paws

Loghain shook his head; "None, at best this likely an abnormally large horde being led by one or more Alpha Darkspawn."

Marcus leaned back on his seat; "The Warden commander seems certain."

A light snort came from the Teyrn; "Yes, Duncan has made his opinion known. Enough so that Cailan believes it. But with no dragon being present I do not share the sentiment."

"If there is an Arch-Demon, it could be its plan to make us think it's not here."

"Hmm," the older man rubbed his chin; "Perhaps, The scouts should tell us more when they arrive back."

"Alright," Marcus gave nod conceding the debate; "What can I do to help?"

"Get yourself some better armor for one. And have those swords looked over. I'll send word to the quartermaster your to be given the best he's got." The young Cousland was in agreement as he stood waking Loke; "Before you go. While Bryce and I may have argued a lot, I respected him greatly. I see a lot of him in you, you'll do him proud."

"I recall you two mainly argued about foreign matters."

"And I still stand by what I said," Loghain said quietly; "We're better off not dealing with the Orlesians. They did enough as far as I am concerned." He gazed out of his tent. "When Cailan sent his message I was told three foreigners from some land came with you?"

"From a place called Tamriel, yes."

"What do you think of them?"

"You can count of them. And they're not mask wearing Orlesians," Marcus joked.

At that Loghain faintly chuckled; "I suppose there is that."

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Walking out of the Grey Warden camp Gin felt better now wearing some protective armor. And he had to say the Warden's made good gear. Blue cloth with chainmail sown in, a chest plate with a griffon carved in, leather pants and armors boots and gloves. All in all, a good fit.

Beside him Brianna and Neria walked with him; "You look ready," Amell smiled at her fellow recruit.

"As I'll ever be I guess," Gin glanced at the two ladies; "How's yours?"

"Wardens" The human mage gave a sly smirk as the tugged the coattails of her reinforced robes. It had the same pattern of silver and blue in diamond shapes as his own, along with the tabard with silvery mail underneath the blue lines of clothing. The biggest difference with his outfit was the lack of plates. "Have style~"

Neria awkwardly adjusted the high neck of her outfit, "Never worn something like this before"

"We're battlemages now, Neria" Brianna said with confidence, "We're dressed for war"

Her elven friend did not look as enthused with the concept as she did. "I guess so..." She turned her gaze to the city elf, "Have you been in fights before Gin?"

"More or less. Bandits in the streets and cutthroats are common when you work with a thieves guild. But nothing like the scale of what we're doing here" He smiled at her, "It's okay, you'll do fine"

"Hmm" She did not look very convinced.

"Anyway" Gin changed the subject, "Have you met our fellow recruits? I already met Daveth, ended up getting along with him better than I thought I would" Similar past regarding thievery was a way of bringing people together.

"Seen the other, Ser Jory, praying in the wounded camp" Neria commented. She had considered approaching them to help the wounded, but if the mages here weren't doing so already, then it meant the Chantry had strongly disagreed with that proposition. "He's actually from Highever, maybe Lord Marcus knows him"

"'Lord Marcus', why so formal?" Brianna asked.

Neria gave her an incredulous look, "Uhhhhh because he is a noble from Highever? You know, one of the teyrndoms, the people second to the king, that sort of thing. Honestly you should have more etiquette"

"Oh he doesn't look like a stuffy noble, I'm sure he doesn't mind"

"'Lord Marcus' doesn't mind, in fact" The amused voice of said young noble as he approached, now wearing a set of heavy plates over chainmail, they were form fitting and not too bulky, a balanced designed for mobility and decent protection. Loke barked happily at his side. "Please, I already go through enough decorum in the courts"

Brianna flashed a smug grin at Neria, who just gave her a deadpanning look.

"I was talking to Duncan" Marcus continued, "I feel I would be better prepared if I face the Darkspawn before the battle, so he's agreed to let me join your party for when you're send on your trial"

"It'd be good to have you with us" Gin said, there weren't many nobles he would actually be happy to have on their side. "Now, all we need to do is find this Alistair fellow"

The four plus the mabari walked pass the Quartermaster and mage's camp up a small hill into a massive open area that resembled possibly a grand hall. To their left was the area where Cailan had the war table set up. On the right was a large ruined veranda where two men were currently speaking... Or arguing as it became more apparent.

One was a circle human mage in green and gold embroiled robes holding his stave with a clear look of annoyance. The other was a human man roughly Marcus's height, around their age with fair skin, short blond hair and stubby chin. Unlike Gin or the girls this man was in fully plated Warden Armor, a griffon designed shield on his back with a sword on his hip.

A dry mirth danced in the younger man's eyes while he and the older mage argued. As they neared the mage rudely shoved the others out of the way before storming off. The young warden sighed; "Well that was lovely waste of fifteen minutes." His blue eyes shifted towards the group; "Ah hello! You must be the three new recruits Duncan mentioned." He took notice of Marcus and Loke; "Or are there four and a dog now?"

"I'd actually be joining you on their trial in the wilds to have more experience on how to fight Darkspawn" The young noble said before holding up his hand. "Marcus Cousland, a pleasure"

"Heh, well hope you're not squeamish, the Blighters are really ugly up close" He said with humor in his voice as he shook his hand, "I'm Alistair, been a Warden just for half a year but Duncan says I'm still your senior and should take you guys through the steps" He said, addressing the other three.

"I'm Neria, this is Brianna, and we're from Kinloch Hold" The elven mage introduced them, "This here is Gin, and he's from Denerim"

"Oh, you're mages" Alistair said a touch uncomfortably.

Brianna's eyes immediately narrowed, "Got a problem with that?"

"Nothing personal, just feel it's a bit awkward. Part of the reason why the Revered Mother sent me to talk to Grumpy Staff over there" He hesitantly said, "You see I am, or was really, a Templar before becoming a Warden"

"...Ah" The human mage made a clicking sound with her tongue as understanding dawned on her. "Well, then. Are we going to have a problem? Hopefully you haven't swallowed all that Chantry propaganda, lyrium does addle the mind after all"

Neria looked at her scandalized, "Brianna!" She was honestly trying to pick up a fight with their senior Warden?

To their surprise, Alistair laughed. "Heh! Don't get me wrong, I know the Chantry, I say my prayers... sometimes. But you're talking to someone who more often than not fell asleep during sermons"

A smile grew on Amell's lip; "Then we're good."

"Now have you lot met Daveth and Ser Jory?" Alistair asked receiving a round of nods; "Good, then let's head back to camp. Duncan will fill you three on what you need to do when we head out into the Korcari Wilds." He knelt down in front of the Mabari rubbing the mastiff's ears; "Bet you could take down the Arch-Demon couldn't you?"

Loke barked happily. Marcus and Gin only rolled their eyes while two ladies giggled. Standing back up Alistair gestured for them to follow.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Walking through the camp the group made one quick stop as Neria walked over to the Mabari kennels seeing two human men talking. One in hard leathers who Alistair explained was an Ash Warrior conversing with the kennel master. Their topic was the dark grey furred Mabari who looked unwell. The hound was what got Neria's attention as she spoke to the men about what was wrong with him. The kennel master explained the mastiff had lost his master and got a bit of darkspawn blood in his mouth.

The Ash warrior took over saying that due to how mabari were uniquely bred, they could survive and become immune to the Blight with the help of a rare flower which grows in the Wilds. However neither had much success in calming the poor hound as he had been stubborn since being brought to the kennels.

Without even thinking Neria said she would try, much to the surprise of the two men and the others who joined her. Brianna quickly tried to make her reconsider but her longtime friend had already open the kennel and walked in. Amell only mumbled about Neria always had a fondness for animals to the others.

The grey mabari growled lowly but the elven mage remained calm before she knelt down and extended her hand. The poor thing looked exhausted and in pain but held his stance for a minute or so as all were quiet. Slowly its posture relaxed as Neria showed no signs of aggression or threatening moves toward him. The pained large mastiff came over sniffing Neria's hand. A long sigh escaped the rest as the mabari soon licked her hand and let her pet him. Gently she placed the muzzle on the large hound that soon sat and whimpered.

Going out of the kennel, the man in charge of the hounds thanked her. Neria asked the Ash Warrior what type of flower they needed and was given a small detailed sketch on paper. Bidding farewells after Neria said she'd get the flower, they made their way to the Warden Camp. And a bewildered look came from Alistair's eyes; "Who are those three?"

The others looked and saw Sofie speaking with Ser Jory, a tall short brunette haired pale skinned man in Warden Plate armor. Beside them Miara and Daveth, a common looking man with short black hair and stubble, in armor much like Gin's were joking around as both were laughing. Near the large bonfire at the center of the camp Serana and Duncan were talking.

"Allies" Marcus answered, "Like me they'll be joining us"

Daveth made intricate motions with his hands, detailing a previous 'job' of him. "-the ring slid right off her finger. She never knew it was taken" He proudly said.

Miara barked a laugh, "Nice! That's not an easy job to perform. Oh let me tell you about a job a friend of mine did once. You ever tried taking jewelry that was attached to the body?"

"You mean like earring?" The stubble man said, "Nah, too risky. Don't know many who tried, do know they all got caught though." His eyes soon widened, "You don't mean to tell me this friend of yours actually pulled it off and got earrings?"

The elf's smile became very sly, "Oh it wasn't earrings~"

His jaw hanged loose, "No..."

"Nipple. Piercings"

"Nooooo!" He said excitedly, almost bouncing on the balls of his feet. "This friend of yours is like... a goddess of thieves or something!"

"Or something" She smirked knowingly, "Let's just say Karliah is damn lucky"

Alistair gave Marcus a dry look, the young noble winced a bit at the casual talk of thievery. "They can be trusted, believe me"

Beside the jovial duo Sofie spoke casually with Ser Jory; "Oh that sounds wonderful. When is your wife due to give birth?"

"Not too long. I figured after Ostagar I would go back to see them."

Sofie crossed her arms; "You choose a dangerous line of work."

"True, but a noble one. And from what Duncan explained the Wardens pay very well. This way I can provide for my wife and child."

The Nord woman gave the man a smile as he patted his shoulder. It was then they took noticed of everyone approaching; "Welcome back!"

"So you guys are coming along too?" Neria asked as she gripped her stave nervously.

Miara gave a nod to the comment; "Since Darkspawn are not in our lands we need to know what we're dealing with. So when Marcus asked to join you lot to the wilds for some experience, so did we."

"More the merrier I say," Daveth smirked.

It was then Duncan and Serana noticed them; "Ah there you all are." As the commander spoke to Alistair and the recruits the vampire walked over holding a leather dog's collar; "This is for Loke."

"If it's a fashion statement" Alistair quipped, "I don't think it goes with his eyes"

The mabari growled at him while the vampire knelt and wrapped the collar around his neck.

"Okay, okay!" The Warden help up his hands in surrender, "You look very fashionable in it"

Miara held back a snort.

Marcus knelt down next to his hound, ruffling his ears as he inspected the collar. "Thank you Serana, saved me trouble of getting him his own collar" It was important to single out which mabari had owners and which not if he was going to stay in the kennels.

"It's actually more than that" The tall woman explained, "If Darkspawn blood is deadly, then it wouldn't do for your furry friend here to go about biting them. So I enchanted this collar to ward off any blood from going down his throat"

He blinked in surprise, "That's... very thoughtful of you. Here I was worrying about Loke risking the same fate as the other mabari" That was a big weight lifted off his shoulder. The dog barked in gratitude as he leaped at the woman and slobbered her with big sloppy tongue kisses.

"Ugh I get, I get it" She groaned as she tried to push the hound back. "You're welcome" Serana couldn't help but smile, for a dog of his size he could be rather cute.

"That's a... interesting type of enchantment" Neria carefully spoke, keeping her eyes on the nord woman. "Enchanting something to interact blood like that is uncommon in these regions of Thedas" She didn't need to say which parts of their continent practiced things like that.

Serana snorted, "Oh dear, I can feel your judgement from a mile away"

The trio from Tamriel had already explained to Duncan, Gin, Neria, and Brianna they could use magic on the way to Ostagar. It came as large shock for the commander and recruits that the arcane arts were widely and openly practiced with no Chantry and templars wanting to throw you in the Circles.

Being told of the numerous schools of the arcane in Tamriel, several made Neria and Brianna openly wary. "It's not judgement, just concern. Such a practice is highly dangerous."

"Magic _is_ dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. But the schools here, compared to the magic I practice, are hilariously underwhelming, crude, and archaic." Serana stated crossing her arms.

Duncan cleared his throat as he noticed Brianna was about to argue back; "At the present moment it is a tool like any form of magic. Against the Blight, all is needed."

Oh the two circle mages were not happy but said nothing as they both conceded with a nod. Alistair gave a look to Gin who sighed; "Long story for later."

"Now," the warden commander spoke sternly; "You recruits will be entering the Korcari wilds. Marcus and his Mabari along with our friends from Tamriel will be going along so they can know and understand of the threat we face. For you recruits I want you all to retrieve a sample of Darkspawn blood and put it into a vial Alistair will give you. As for why you are doing this, it is part of your Joining. I cannot say any further."

"Is it to test how we fare against the Darkspawn, Ser Warden?" Jory asked.

"In part" Duncan curtly replied, "However, it is not your only task. In the wilds there is a fallen tower that once belonged to our order, inside the ruins there is a chest which contains a copy of the treaties we Wardens can use to recruit aid from multiple sources if there is a Blight to fight. I like to be cautious so it's best if you retrieve that second set of documents"

"Better than safe than sorry" Brianna shrugged, "Doesn't sound too dangerous"

"The tower is deep into the wild's territory, where the Darkspawn scouting parties have set out their forward camps" The Warden-Commander explained. "You'll be fighting a good number of them"

"Straight to the fight I see" Gin muttered dryly. "Here I was hoping to relax this afternoon, maybe have some tea..."

Duncan chuckled at his quip, "what is it they say? 'No rest for the wicked'"

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 _ **So, this chapter originally was gonna be MUCH longer. Going over the part of the swamp and all. But we realized it would be too long, so we cut it down for later.**_

 _ **Hope you enjoy.**_


	11. What lurks in the Wilds

_**Disclaimer:**_ We do not own the Dragon Age or Elder Scrolls series.

 _ **Co-Author and Beta:**_ Etheral-23

 **What lurks in the Wilds**

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Ser Jory wasn't some chauvinist bloke who thought women had no place in the battlefield. Indeed, he had served alongside plenty of fierce women before. The prospect of them being smiths wasn't outside his understanding either, that nice dwarven lady back in castle Highever could do wonders, and even mentored many young apprentices with her husband, men and women alike. Of course, those women through years of hammering away at iron would develop formidable and sizeable muscles, their arm ending up looking more like tree trunks.

So it was to Jory's surprise that the tall elven women before him, well tall for an elf but not nearly as tall as him, was hefting his greatsword with one hand, said hand was attached to a lithe arm that truly didn't look it could lift something as heavy as his sword. Much less with such ease.

Much more impressed than with her physical strength he was with her knowledge of weapons and armor. Lady Miara was a savant of smithing, as Lord Marcus had attested, so it was logical to let her check their gear before they went out to the wilds.

"This side is starting to dull" She said, her blue eyes sharply narrowed, taking every detail of the blade in her hand. "Nothing major, it won't give you any trouble in the wilds, but have it sharpened before the battle when we return"

The knight gave a nod as he took back his blade; "Understood my lady." Miara grinned as she proceeded over to inspect Alistair's weapon and shield. "When the Wardens gave us these silverite weapons I thought they looked freshly forged."

"They are well cared for, I will acknowledge that," Miara responded, her eyes critical over every inch of the former Templar's longsword; "The smiths I spoke with at Highever explained about silverite and how it works well against Darkspawn."

"Indeed lady Redoran. There is also the added Cleansing Rune for an extra kick for the blade." Alistair gestured to the rune symbol just above the guard.

The elf gave it a glance before handing the sword back; "Overall good shape, now your shield."

"Thorough lass isn't she," Daveth chuckled gazing down at the crossbow the Wardens gave him along with silverite tipped bolts. And in case he needed to get close were two curved daggers on his belt.

Marcus only smirked back as he looked of his family sword Engeram and the silverite blade the Quartermaster had given him. He soon took a long deep breath of he focused himself. Never in his life did he thought he would be facing against the monsters old Aldous spoke about during his history lessons. He'd be lying if he did not feel a slight ting fear, but shoved it aside as he glanced down to his faithful hound who sat at his side.

"Any last minute advice we should know Alistair?" Sofie asked as she waited beside Ser Jory.

"Watch out for their arrows, Darkspawn tip them with their own blood. We're unsure how many of the blighters are in the wilds so pace yourselves. And if Andraste forbid there is an Ogre out there don't be an idiot and fight it alone." The man spoke with an odd sense of humor

Brianna leaned to Neria and Gin whispering with a lifted brow; "Who's crazy enough to fight an Ogre alone?"

Serana, who heard her, merely gave a deadpanning look at Miara. The elf merely responded with her own dry look, as if saying 'I fought dragons and grouchy giants. What's another huge monster more to me?'

The dunmer in disguise soon returned Alistair's shield to him, "It'd be best if we form up before heading out" She advised. Already multiple ideas and formations went through her head, but she was merely here as an aid. She wasn't here as a general, it simply wasn't her place.

"Your orders, Ser Warden?" Daveth said with a hint of humor in his voice.

"Hmm, I confess I don't have a lot of experience leading a group of this size. Or, you know, any at all" He replied with a soft grumbled. "What about you, Marcus, surely you were trained for that?" He asked, turning his gaze to the noble.

"Me?" He was caught a bit off guard. "I'm just another warrior in this party, I don't have any authority here" It seemed his reasons were very similar to Miara's own.

"Ah, but you're a fine tactician milord" Ser Jory spoke in praise of his lord of Highever. "I've been on parties lead by you and your brother before; I believe our group could benefit a lot from you if we are to head out to the wilds"

At that the young Cousland gave a long pause before he rubbed his chin peering over to Brianna and Neria; "What type of magic are you two best at?"

"I've always been heavier on the primal schools. Neria is great in all fields but it is creation where she is by far her best." Amell clarified, patting the shoulder of her longtime friend who nodded stiffly.

Marcus gazed over to the elven mage; "I've heard of invisible shield spells that protect the user, can you do those?"

"I can make barrier spells for added protection and healing if anyone needs it." Neria gripped her staff close.

The young noble gave a nod before turning his gaze to Serana; "Your strengths Lady Volkihar? How good are you with that dagger and sword?" He noticed the woman's sword was similar in design to Dragonbane.

Serana gave a shrug; "I'd say I'm fairly decent with my sword and dagger but I'm best with my spells. Like Amell I'm destruction based with my skills." Before they had regrouped with at the Wardens Camp she secretly summoned Butler to get her father's sword after the lesson on the Darkspawn.

"Then you three stay at the back for range with Daveth," Marcus stated getting nods from the four. He now glanced over to Miara. "I never could figure out your style."

"Because I don't really have one since I'm versed in multiple forms of combat and magic. However I best be at the middle with Gin since my talents center me around as a Nightblade."

Gin peered over to Sofie; "Nightblade?"

"A fancy title for a rogue that uses magic."

"Well, rogues don't usually take on so many people like you do" He replied with a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. He remembered very well the same kind of massacre she inflicted upon Howe's soldiers.

"That you know of"

He let out a soft laugh as he shook his head, the Cousland soon turned his gaze with to the tall nord, "I think I can guess what your specialty is" It wasn't hard to, given Sofie's prominent size and muscles, coupled with her heavy armor and greatsword. Also he noticed the short handled axes on her belt.

The eldest daughter of the Redoran family shrugged, metallic pauldrons clinking with the movement. "What can I say? I like simple"

"Simple is good. You're with Alistair, Jory, and me. We take out the main bulk of whatever we fight, draw their attention to better protect the others" He nodded at Gin and Miara, "When you two see an opening, get in and kill them fast, get out before they even know what hit them"

"Sounds like Tuesday to me" The city elf droned, "Only with more stabbing involved"

The young noble turned Daveth who smirked holding up his crossbow; "Armed and ready milord." He spoke in a chipper tone.

"And you" Marcus said to the mages, "Brianna, hit them with fireballs, lightning, whatever it is you mages can do to dish out damage"

"I like this plan a lot" The human mage grinned, excited at the idea of letting loose for once.

"And Neria" The young elven mage gave a small jump, "You cast your barriers on us, keep us alive"

"Y-Yes" She nodded stiffly, looking rather unsure with herself.

It was something the Cousland noticed, but choose not to comment on it. He merely nodded slowly as he looked back at each of his companions, "Let's head out then"

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After a quick talk with the guards protecting the rear fortified gates the group began their trek into the Wilds. They sight they were greeted with was a vast patchwork swamps, dense forest areas, and open grasslands. They could see least a dozen broken structures that were once enormous ruins and statues now reclaimed by nature.

"That is a lot of ground to cover." Miara muttered as her eyes took every detail she could see. It partly reminded the elf of the Argonian homeland, if only just. She took a glance to Dawnbreaker as she felt it pulsing ever so faintly.

Marcus looks down Loke; "Keep your nose sharp boy." The huge mastiff gave a small grunt as he sniffed the ground.

Surana kept her stave close as her heart was racing as the group started their trial. Her sharp elven ears twitched at the faint noises coming from the forest areas. Brianna glanced to her longtime friend noticing the nervousness.

Going down a small hill they stopped at the sight of dead soldiers and a man in robes of the chantry; "A missionary?" Sofie glanced to the others. "Brave and foolish coming out here."

"Check him out" Miara said, "See if he has something valuable"

Multiple sets of eyes turned to her in a mixture of horror and disgust. Save her lover and daughter who only groaned rubbing their eyes.

"...to... give back to a next of kin... or something" She mumbled out as she cowered before the judgmental looks. "Look, decades of adventuring are hard to shake off okay? You learn to loot everything that isn't nailed down to the floor"

"That's horrible" Neria shook her head.

"It's lucrative and allows you to survive!"

Sofie rolled her eyes as she knelt down and checked through the man's clothes. Pulling out a small journal from which she started reading the clergy man's last words, "This man's from Redcliffe" She let out a long sigh, "There's a wife and son there..."

"Not the best place to preach the Chant" Alistair spoke solemnly.

"Pretty bad call" Daveth said, his voice bordering on the uncaring. "If not for the Blighters, then the wilders would have killed him anyway. The tribes here don't like the Chantry"

"We'll take his belongings to his family at a later date" Miara said, "For now, we have a job to do"

Sofie gathered up the journal along with a small box likely carrying something of value to the man's family. Placing them into her belt satchel the group pressed on, checking the dead soldiers. Finding none alive they round a corner where Neria stopped at the sight of some flowers. Daveth joined at her side; "Ah yeah, those are the flowers that kennel master been looking for. Best to take a few," he muttered as the elven girl grabbed several and tucked them safely away.

Rounding on another corner they find themselves in an open grassland with a large open cliff-side nearby. Neria, Brianna, and Gin paled as they saw several knights hanging. Their armor badly mauled and torn in sections, some were missing limbs as horror was forever frozen on their faces. "Poor bastards." Alistair shook his head grimly.

Keeping his snout to the ground Loke paused before a snarl came from him. The group sharply looked forward as they saw several figures ahead of them roaming around a ruined stone house. Dawnbreaker glowed brighter in Miara's hand as she glared hard for the coming battle.

Most of the creatures looked just like the Darkspawn corpses they had seen in Ostagar, but they were finally seeing more of the monsters' kin. The same twisted flesh, the same foul existence, but some were tall like humans wearing rugged plates and mail, while others were stout and bulkier, walking on all fours.

Each step they took, every breath they drew, Miara could feel the foul corruption in their every action.

"Darkspawn up ahead!" Alistair shouted as he brandished his sword and shield.

Marcus was quick to stand in front of the group, "Positions!"

Sofie flanked the right side while Ser Jory stood to the left; both had their greatswords at the ready. Daveth loaded his crossbow as Miara and Gin readied their blades. Serana let frost gather at her fingertips, a smirk forming on her lips.

The younger mages of the group could feel their hearts pounding on their ears. Brianna steeled herself as she channeled lightning through her staff, gulping down the lump in her throat

Neria could only cling tightly to her stave. Those... monsters were nightmarish, it reminded her too much of the demons of the Fade.

One of the black armored Hurlocks spotted them and howled, pointing a rusty blade at them, signaling the other Spawn to attack. They charged with vicious wanton abandon, arms wildly flailing around, and dark drool escaping from their mouths in blood lust.

Serana drew first blood, firing a blast of pure cold that impacted a hurlock on the front, icy spikes exploded outward from inside its body, black blood flowing freely as chunks of its flesh fell to the ground. She immediately transformed into mist, moving unto a more advantageous position over a small hill to continue her attack.

Alistair charged with his shield up, parrying away the blow from a Hurlock's axe, followed by his silverite sword slashing across the creature's chest, cutting through rugged metal and into its dark flesh. The metal burned the unholy flesh with its bite.

Ser Jory grit his teeth as one of those large quadruped came straight at him, he brought down his greatsword with a war cry and buried it through the creatures shoulder and into its back, it cut into its spine and let a screeching wail of pain, its movements on its hind legs stopping, yet it still tried to claw away at Jory, trying to reach him with its arm. Jory planted his armored foot unto its face, pulling his sword free before bringing it down once more, this time splitting the monster's head.

A Genlock with a bow howled as a silverite bolt pierced his shoulder. Daveth's gaze was unflinching as he reloaded and fired true as it went through the beast's head killing the blighter. Loke charged as his jaws clamped down on a Hurlock's arm that got too close to his master. Fearless and powerful the giant hound cleverly kept the corrupted monster from moving until Marcus came forward plunging his blades into the Hurlock's chest.

Despite her imposing height and muscles Sofie deftly dodged two attacks from a Hurlock and quadrupedal Genlock. The creatures were relentless and primal with their vicious onslaught to kill their prey. With a roar the Nordic woman spun her blade in an arc, severing the Hurlock's head from it neck. The Genlock only snarled as it pressed on. Unaware of an aggressor coming for it in the shadows. Gin was silent and fast as he struck his daggers at the Blighter's large back. It howled in pain as the silverite burned before Sofie's Sword came down onto the beast's head.

"Not bad Tabris!" Sofie smiled kicking the monster off her blade.

An ear piercing shriek caught their ears as they saw Miara tearing through several darkspawn with her holy sword with relentless savagery and grace. The agony was immense from the foul creatures as Dawnbreaker and Dragonbane sliced through their armor and body like butter. Their bodies engulfed in golden fire as they violently trashed around before falling to the ground dead and burning to ash.

"By the Maker..." Alistair paused in shock before resuming his battle.

By the Maker indeed, it was like that the god of the Chantry reached down to smite the abominations with holy fire. And that was the only way Brianna and Neria could describe those flames, holy. But it wasn't the gentle bliss of what praying in the Chantry must feel like, oh no, it was an imperious. A fierce and powerful magic that demanded, no, _**COMMANDED**_ respect.

Miara swung her sword in an arc, the edge sharp enough to completely cut through metal and flesh, bisecting a hurlock as it flaming remains became ashes on the ground, wreathed in azure and gold. If the Darkspawn felt any fear or pain, their cries were the only evidence, but were soon silenced all the same.

"Gods I hate that sword..." Serana grumbled in displeasure as she rained down lightning upon their enemies.

Marcus grunted as the rusted blade of a Hurlock hit his shoulder guard, thankfully it wasn't able to pierce through his armor. "Neria, the shields!" He called out to her, but there was no response. "Neria!"

Brianna gave a quick look at her friend, but was distracted by the sounds of the growling blighters, the human mage snapped herself back into focus, fighting a demon or two in the Fade was quite different than fighting in an open field like this. Too many things going on at once, so she concentrated on the nearest Darkspawn, taking great satisfaction in the fact her magic was finally unchained, free for her to use as she wanted.

And right now, she wanted to burn something.

A flare of her stave and three genlocks were set ablaze.

Huh... that had been... exhilarating.

Unconsciously a smile was growing on Amell's lip as she waved her stave with precision. Her flames struck hard against any Darkspawn that either approached her or a fighting comrade. In her mind she recalled the few stories Duncan told on their way to Ostagar.

The rush and thrill of battle. Every part of her body felt alive as she dealt out a fiery death against the corrupted blighters! This feeling, it was borderline orgasmic as her smile never wavered from her beautiful lips. While her weapon was not a sword, dagger, or bow, Brianna showed her prowess as a mage worthy of respect and knew her craft well.

Spinning her stave Brianna brought forth lightning which surged through several Genlock and Hurlock, cooking them from the inside-out. "Now this is a rush!" Brianna exclaimed brightly. "Don't you think Neria!?"

She couldn't think. So many things were happening all at once, Neria found the focus she was known for in her classes to be slipping, the elf couldn't handle it. Her eyes darted wildly, one moment seeing Marcus cut down a Darkspawn, then a Hurlock than was wildly charging towards Alistair's back, only to be stopped by a bolt to the head courtesy of Daveth.

The sounds, metal against metal, the animal like dying shrieks of the Blighters, they all thundered over her eyes as though they were happening right next to her. Even her breathing was deafening. Her knuckles popped as she held her staff tightly against her chest, begging her body to move, to do something, anything to help her comrades!

...But she would not move. Neria was simply too overwhelmed.

She was afraid.

In the classrooms, she had the careful guidance of her teachers. In the fade it had been her against a demon, and even then a weapon had been gifted to her to slay it.

All that time she had relied on others to help her, and now that other people were counting on her on a life and death situation, all she could do was remain frozen.

And this inaction had not gone unnoticed by Miara, Serana, and Marcus as he had glanced her way while tearing down the blighters. As the Dovahkiin took down the final Hurlock Marcus stomped towards Neria who sighed as no enemy remained. "What was that?!" His voice rose with such anger it startled the elven girl.

"I-I-" Neria trembled under the young noble's fierce gaze.

"You froze in battle!" Everyone was quiet as they watched. "We are in the middle of dangerous territory and the only way we can get through this is fighting and trusting the person beside us to watch our backs!"

"Hey!" Brianna yelled sharply as was about to move towards Marcus till being stopped by Miara. The older elf said nothing but shook her head.

Marcus leaned forward; "One mistake and it could kill one or all of us while out here. You're not in Kinloch Hold anymore; there is no one here guiding your hand, you look after yourself and the people fighting beside you. But if you cannot pull your own weight, you're as good as dead!" He hissed before standing straight; "You're a Grey Warden now, Act like it!" The man turned and walked away as Brianna walked passed him with an angered glare.

The young noble sighed as he stopped in front of Miara and Serana who came back down from the hill; "First time I ever had to chew out a new fighter like that, not sure I liked it" he whispered in admittance.

"But needed to be said, Neria needed to hear it, so well done." Miara whispered back with a nod of respect from the hooded Nord woman.

The tense silence was soon broken by Alistair; "We can extract some Darkspawn blood with the vials. I say we do that while looking around here." Daveth and Gin went to help as Ser Jory and Sofie kept watch.

Neria faintly shook as she held her stave tightly. "I'm not a warrior, I'm a scholar." The elf muttered as she fought off some stray tears from her eyes. She gazed up seeing Miara standing in front of her while Serana inspected the ruins with Loke. "…I'm pathetic..."

"No you're not," Miara spoke in a maternal tone; "I know you're not a coward, but the question you have to ask yourself now is do you face this fear or run from it? Cause out here we are in constant danger."

"I never asked for this!" The younger elf seethed through clenched teeth, "I never wanted to become a Warden, and the choice was made for me!" Brianna gently put a hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"We seldom choose our fate" There was a heaviness to Miara's tone, almost like a mix between resignation and understanding. "So we need to face it with our heads held high"

"But I'm not... this" Neria waved a hand, at Miara and the other warriors. "I don't know how to fight, I don't want to fight"

"You'll die then" Miara spoke bluntly, "And not just you. Your inaction could cost people their lives. Your friend here could die from your mistakes" She nodded at Brianna.

The dark tanned elf remained silent.

"In a fight, you need to prioritize and react. If you see a threat closer to you, take it out. If you see a companion in need of aid, give it to them, and then move on" She said, much more gently than before, "You can't teach a warrior how to properly handle their first battle, it's something that comes naturally. Many freeze up, yes. You were fortunate it happened when you were surrounded by allies, and the enemy was not a very high threat"

Neria was silent before glancing to Brianna who offered a comforting grin; "You're not alone. I've always had faith in you."

Those words stirred the young elf while gazing at her longtime friend, before turned back and nodded before gazing to Miara; "I understand." The hidden dunmer smirked before patting the girl's cheek.

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After getting the vials of Darkspawn blood and searching the ruins for anything, which held nothing. The group pushed onward through the wilds. Serana eyed a large statue carved in the shape of a dragon; "How big are these ruins?"

"No one really knows," Alistair commented as he kept his eyes alert. "Between Ostagar and what was added after Tevinter was pushed out, it's hard to say."

Sofie walked beside Marcus "Would have been a sight to see." Absently the noble gave a nod as Loke sniffed the ground.

All the while, Miara continued to guide Neria on what to do on certain situations when it came to a fight. The younger elf wished Wynne could have been this practical in her advice, she understood the importance on how to act on her own, but Miara's wisdom wasn't shrouded in platitudes, but rather it came from her own experience.

"Now, rogues can be a nightmare if they're talented. They can just appear and disappear from the battlefield, and I mean that literally"

"That seems... unlikely" Neria said with a touch of disbelief. Unless the rogues in question happened to have magic then she couldn't see how they'd be able of performing such a feat.

Loke began growling and Marcus signaled the group to stop.

"Oh that's where the alchemy comes in" Miara grinned, her hand slowly going to her swords. Neria could suddenly feel the atmosphere becoming colder, but not in a physical sense. Rather, like danger was near. It made the hairs on her neck stand on edge. "Invisibility potions or gas based compounds capable of producing the same effect by just being inside the chemical cloud when it goes off"

Everyone slowly drew their weapons, as though they could see something Neria couldn't.

The younger elf gulped. "Then... how do you know a rogue is nearby?"

"You listen" Miara softly spoke. At her side, Serana summoned frost on her hands. "The weight of footsteps on grass, twigs breaking under their weight..."

Neria gasped softly as her sensitive ears felt it, a branch breaking.

"And of course" The foreign elf slowly drew out the word. "The smell" She chuckled, "If the compound is designed to become gas instantly, you can't mistake the lingering smell of the reagents on a person... That and Darkspawn reek of rot"

The young elven mage made only let out a squeaking yelp as she barely avoided jagged blades that swiped at her. Dressed in crude hard leathers and black armor with bladed gauntlets attached to their wrists. They snarled with utter blood lust from their bestial maws as their elven-like ears twitched from their helmets. For Neria it felt like they literally appeared out of nowhere and surrounded the group, attacking with malicious veracity!

Neria's attacker was met by Miara's holy sword as Dawnbreaker tore through the beast's chest and engulfed it in the golden divine flames. The young mage did not even see when the older elf had drawn her blade, she was so fast!

"Shrieks!" Alistair's blade was drawn with speed along with his shield as he deflected an attack from the rather deftly fast and agile monsters.

Though surprised the group reacted swiftly to fight against the blighters. However, the danger grew as a pack of wolves rushed through the foliage of a nearby tree line. Their once beautiful fur was badly matted or had fallen off, revealing chunks of tainted flesh. Some had spike coming out of their bodies as they milky coated eyes glared murderously as they also charged with several Genlock quickly charged with savage roars.

On the verge of panic, Neria miraculously reacted, swiping her arm and casting a lime green force around herself and her allies. A shriek that got too close found the swing of his bracer-blade bounce off Neria's form, this one shimmering as the barrier held. The elven mage let out a cry as she thrust her staff forward, blasting the monster away with a pulse of kinetic force.

Gin back flipped back to get away from another shriek's strike, pulling out multiple throwing knives he impaled the creature on various vital places. The snarl of a Blighted wolf made him turn around quickly, one tainted creature leaping at him with its fangs laid bare. When suddenly a brown blur collided with it, dragging it back to the ground. Loke snarled as he tore at the wolf's tore, ripping it apart.

"...Good boy" He swore the dog smiled at him. It looked significantly less cute with so much black blood dripping from his teeth.

Marcus dodged the spiked shield of the Genlock that came for him while it swung a hatchet in the other hand. The blighter snarled as the young noble parried its weapon before running his family's sword through its skull. Beside him Alistair struck a Shriek with his shield before slicing it knees, crippling it. Per its name it let out a horrid shriek of pain till the former Templar cut off its head.

A spike made of pure ice fired passed them both impaling a tainted wolf to a tree. They turned to see Serana giving a small nod before drawing her father's sword and in one swift motion cut two heads of charging Genlocks. "Just _decent_ with the sword she said," Alistair dryly muttered before getting back to the fight. Close by Daveth kept the pressure on anything that moved as he fire his crossbow.

Sofie and Ser Jory were back to back as they were handling most the tainted wolves coming for them. "Blighters are endless!" The knight growled as he swung his greatsword.

"Must have been a fairly large wolf pack, best we can do is end their misery!" Sofie yelled back as she dodged the teeth of a large white wolf.

Brianna whispered in an arcane tongue under her breath as she spun her stuff, summing a wall of pure flames that set the Blighters ablaze. They writhed and cried out in agony as the mage-fire consumed them, reducing to charred corpses on the ground.

Miara looked down with disgust at the shriek snarling beneath her boot, with a swift movement and sufficient pressure; she snapped the creature's neck with ease. Ugh, just when she thought fighting those afflicted by Peryite was disgusting enough-

"Ugk!" She hissed in pain when an arrow bruised against the top of her hand. She felt a horrible burning wash over her skin.

Her fake blue eyes widened in terror as she realized she had been hit with a Tainted arrow, the corruption sought to spread over her body through the wound. She could feel it's darkness entering her bloodstream and... Being pushed away?

All of the dark liquid fell out from the wound, her own unique blood rejecting the intense corruption completely.

Huh... so that was a thing.

The dunmer in disguise glared at the ones responsible, a group of genlocks, she took just one threatening step and they immediately turned to run away, and quite conveniently for her they were just within range of the wall of flames the human mage had erected. With a flick of her wrist, she conjured force a strong gust of wind that swarmed over the flames and made them spread with voracity, spreading over Darkspawn.

She ignored their dying cries as she cleaned her wound and discreetly closed with magic.

Brianna whistled as she stepped towards the elf, the battle seemingly over as all their foes were dead. "Air magic? Nice to see some use for it"

She shrugged, doing her best to pretend nothing had happened to her. "Same deal as with water, not a lot of situations where you can do actual damage with it"

Pulling one of his swords out from a Shriek, Marcus gazed at the small battlefield. The area was now still as Sofie finished off the final wolf with a huff. "This is a good workout today," she muttered before whispering a small prayer of Kynareth to the fallen wolves.

The young noble turned to Neria who gave a small nod to him. He had noticed her weaving her magic for everyone and was grateful his words moved her. Kneeling down to his faithful mastiff Loke let his large tongue hang from his mouth as he panted. "That collar is working I see."

"Of course," Serana said with pride as she sheathed her father's sword. "He'll still need a good wash after leaving here though." She crinkled her nose from the odor coming off the Mabari. Reminded her of when they brought Bran along who got into the thick of fighting beside them. That was a brave old husky to face down Vampires and even a few dragons!

Daveth pulled out the bolts he had shot at the Blighter's corpses and cleaned them mildly panting; "Just glad he can sniff out those monsters for us." Loke barked happily as if thanking the man.

Catching their breath the group pressed further in. Miara glanced at her healed wound before shifting her eyes towards a tree. Perched on a branch was a large crow which stared back letting out a caw at her.

Hmm, had she had seen that crow before? The elf cocked a brow before shaking it off. "My imagination."

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Entering an open clearing the group found themselves around huge broken pillars with a grizzly sight of at least a dozen dead soldiers which lay dead on the ground. Their bodies badly mangled and their armor shredded.

Marcus walked close to them, trying to spot any trait in their gear that would spark his memory, looking for any familiarity with the armor of Highever... His brother's.

One particular armor caught his eye; it was very similar in style and color. He walked closer to make sure, ignoring his heart thundering in his chest.

He knelt down next to one of the fallen soldiers, turning him over and checking his face. Half of it was horribly scarred, its skin peeled off and the flesh teared, but the other half remained intact, it wasn't his brother.

The young lord of Highever sighed, both in relief and concern. His brother might not be in this battlefield perhaps, he was still out there.

But whether he was alive or dead was the question. One he was terrified of answering.

"Oh Maker..." Neria gagged, coughing into her hand as she saw the massacre before them. The elf at least had a strong stomach, for its contents had not emptied themselves on the group yet. Adjacent to her, Brianna appeared just as nauseated having to look away.

"Poor slobs" Alistair declared with a shake of his head. His tone was for too unconcerned for the elf's liking.

"How are you so calm?" Neria asked incredulously.

"Experience. You get used to it"

"I don't think I want to..."

"Well, too bad my friend" He smiled cheekily at her, patting her shoulder. "You're joining the Wardens. Gruesome death is part of the job description"

"Yay" The elven mage droned with the same joy a drowning man could muster.

Miara walked around the bodies, seeing Marcus going through them with trepidation in his gaze, and understood what was going through his head. "Your brother's party must be somewhere else, continuing their mission"

"...I know," a whisper came from the Cousland as he shuddered; "And yet I can't help but feel a knot in my heart finding bodies out here. That one might be-"

"Don't think that." the elf responded back quickly. "You have to hold out onto hope and trust in your brother."

Marcus gave a nod before noticing Loke beside him whimpering. Keeping his guard on alert Ser Jory kept his gaze sharp. "Almost feels like that skirmish we had in the Bannorn when those Qunari bandits or whatever they call themselves were causing such a bloody fuss."

"Tal Vashoth," Marcus clarified as he rose from his kneeling; "You wouldn't think grey skinned horned giants like them would have been so difficult to find." He rubbed the back of his neck; "Not sure what I would prefer to battle now after facing these Darkspawn."

"Ohhh my dear boy, just when you think you found the worst of the worst to fight, the world always throws a new nightmare at you" Miara sagely articulated. "Trust me; I've fought all manner of monsters throughout my years, many that would have taken the heart of lesser warriors. Yet whenever I thought I had seen the worst of it, I would find my greatest challenge scuttling through the darkness" Her voice took on a hard severity. "I have faced the most vile, horrifying and malevolent creature there could ever exist... one that haunts me to this very day"

If Miara truly had lived as long as she said, then her claim could make the Darkspawn look pale by comparison. It simply boggled the mind that a warrior like her could be afraid of something. "What was it you fought?"

"Spiders"

"...Come again?"

"Spiders!" She spread her arms, "Giant, eight legged things, with far too many eyes and-uf!" Miara quavered as she massaged her arms, "Those hairy legs..."

"The most dangerous thing you have ever faced... were giant spiders?" Granted, those things were pretty treacherous, but compared to all other types of beasts out there. "I mean, I suppose they can be-"

"Suppose nothing!" Miara snapped at him. "Those unholy demons are PURE EVIL INCARNATE!"

A low murmur came from Sofie while Serana ran her hands over her face as she shook her head; "My mother is deathly afraid of spiders..." The former flower girl of Windhelm uttered with exasperation.

Marcus along with the others was silent for a moment as they simply stared the Dragonborn. The Tamriel elf only glared back; "You get stuck in an underground giant Ayleid ruin turned into a spiders den for a week and then you talk!" She huffed as she stomped away from the group swearing in Dunmeri.

Neria cocked a brow over to Serana; "Ayleid?"

"Tell you later."

"Were you expecting that?" Gin questioned in a hushed tone to Daveth.

The human rogue just shook his head.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Inspecting a semi-stable ruin taken over by the forest, Miara eyed a small single edged dagger in her hand. "No rust at all, impressive." The elf gave a nod before securing it to one of her belts.

"Does she have to go over every ruin we find?" Brianna bemoaned as she shook her head.

"You get use to it," Sofie and Serana both quipped as the group pressed through a forest area of high grass.

Loke and Alistair walked in front as everyone noticed they came to a halt making the rest follow suits; "What's wrong?" Neria questioned beside Daveth.

"Seems there is a bridge there" Ser Jory pointed, and indeed, further up ahead she could see a bridge atop the murky waters, connecting to another patch of land. "Can't see what's beyond"

"There are Darkspawn ahead" Alistair spoke with certainty.

"How do you know?" Gin asked in confusion. The other side of the bridge was filled with tall foliage and elevations of earth, he couldn't see anything.

"Wardens can feel Darkspawn" He clarified, much to their surprise. "I'm sensing a mass of Darkspawn ahead, but I can't tell how many"

Marcus grunted as he thought it over. "Walking straight into their territory beyond that narrow bridge is too dangerous. They could have fortified it, laid out traps"

Raising her hand a crimson glow came off her palm and fingers as her eyes began to shine. Her fake blues soon gained a cold edge. "Least a dozen of them. Two being fairly larger than the rest with another tall one just hovering off the ground."

"Hovering" Daveth repeated confused, "Like, floating?"

Alistair clicked his tongue, "Tch, great. Emissary, darkspawn mage. They are very smart and very dangerous"

"Well that settles it" Sofie said in a flippant tone, resting her hands over her waist. "Going there is a pre~tty bad idea. You don't charge in where there is a mage waiting for you"

"Oh look at that" Serana droned, "Unlike her mother, she knows better than to charge in to fight mages"

"Um, excuse me. You're her mother too" The elf replied with indignation. "And I don't always charge in... it just so happens that at the end some ruins there isn't any other route for me to take"

The eldest daughter rolled her eyes. "Ignore them. Anyway, the freaks are waiting for us no doubt. How about we turn things around and prepare for them instead?"

"Hmm..." Marcus made a sound of contemplation as he looked at the clearing that lay before the bridge. "Open enough to set up something, a good killing field to ambush them"

"Don't know about you, your lordship" Daveth's tone didn't really carry the respect reserved for those of high status. "But I ain't packing a dozen bear traps"

"Right" The noble replied with disappointment. "Other than draw them into the field so they don't have the advantage of their camp, we don't have the resources to prepare this place to suit our needs"

"A-hem" It was not really a cough, but rather Brianna had intoned the words to call for their attention. "Unless you've forgotten we have a little thing called" She waved her fingers, letting out tiny wisps of light in between them. "Magic~"

"Good to see one of you remembered" Serana replied with an amused smile. "We can set up runes. They'll explode the moment with elemental power when stepped on"

"I was actually thinking of something else" Neria wasn't sure she liked the smile on Brianna's face. "Back in the Circle we have this spell to turn the earth into a grease-like substance. The grease is to slow down opponents, or trap them in it. Turns out the thing is pre~ee~eety damn flammable"

"Our timing has to be exact and we must not get the attention of those blighters while setting up the trap." Gin countered.

"Leave that to me." Miara responded garnering the others attention; "I use invisibility and head towards their camp. Distract them with noises for a few minutes before revealing myself and make them chase me back here."

Concerned etched on Ser Jory's face taking a glance to the elven woman; "Wouldn't that be too dangerous my lady?"

"Only if I get caught, and I _don't_ get caught," Miara said with pride in her voice.

Serana retorted back with dry sarcasm "Unless you're drunk."

"Oh hush you"

"Very well then" Marcus nodded in approval before turning to the Circle mages. "How long till you can set up the field?"

"Not long at all" Brianna replied, "Come Neria, help me with this"

The two mages stepped in front of the group, planting the end of their staves against the ground, holding up their free hands as magic channeled from their tools to the ground before them. They whispered in an arcane tongue to focus and guide their power.

The earth in the small clearing softened, looking like a mud-like sludge had been caked over it, the smell it was giving mixing up well with the smells of the swamp, to the point it masked the grease substance without much issue.

"Right" Neria soon said, pleased with their work. "All it needs is a bit of fire and the whole thing will be lit"

"A few other defenses wouldn't hurt" Alistair spoke up, "Can you make some elevations of earth for you two, and Daveth to have a clearer vantage point to shoot?"

"Sure" Brianna replied, and she and Neria immediately began their work.

"Nice thinking" Marcus complimented the Warden's idea with a nod and a smile

Alistair rubbed his nose, trying not to look too smug. "I've got my moments. The Warden Mages like to get creative, seen them do really clever stuff"

The former Templar shifted his head back to Miara who was already gone. "She doesn't waste time does she?"

"I may tease her a lot but my love is perhaps one the best Nightblades I have ever met." Affection filled her Serana's voice as she grinned.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

As if she was a living shadow, the Dovahkiin moved with masterful silence towards the Darkspawn encampment. It was not hard to miss with large metal spikes and strange totems dotting the area. Disturbingly there was also bodies of least several brave Ferelden soldiers, either horrifically mutilated or somewhat eaten. A faint reminder of the nightmares she had bore witness to in Blackreach with the savage Falmer and their worshipers.

Her eyes took notice of the corrupted beasts who were invading these lands. Least over a dozen Hurlock and Genlock either moved about or chewed on the limbs of one of the dead soldiers. Not far were what she assumed were the Alphas. It was a stark difference from them to the others as the Hurlock wore thick black armor and stood almost as tall as a Nord. Resting on its back was a large jagged double-bladed war axe. Beside was a massive Genlock with an enormous spiked shield and black armor.

Then lastly the Emissary, a horrid beast resembling a Shriek but almost the height of an Altmer. Dressed in worn robes with segmented armor, it floated near the Alphas.

Thankfully, the invisibility also concealed how much Dawnbreaker was shining. The sword reeeeally hated these monsters. The only thing Dawn could possibly hate more was undead, which was both hilarious and relieving that Meridia allowed the sword to remain calm when in Serana's presence. The Prince took pleasure in seeing a Daughter of Cold Harbour foil the plans that would have ultimately benefited the Lord of Domination, so long as Serana fought against other vampires, Meridia would 'tolerate' that the bearer of her blade choose to be with a vampire.

These Darkspawns truly were a form of corruption of life for the blade to hate them so. The Taint did exactly what its name said, as far as Miara heard; it tainted things, corrupted people and turned them into more of those things. Even the ground would eventually become barren and lifeless due to prolonged exposure to the Darkspawn spreading their cursed blood. Some tomes even said that lands that had been heavily touched by the Blight were yet to recover.

Even if centuries had passed.

Their mere existence offended her, her aedric blood called for their destruction, fire raging from the center of her soul moving up her throat, threatening to spill out in a shout that would engulf them all in flame. If it were up to her, she'd go to the heart of the Horde and unleash any and all Shouts of mass destruction to end the Blight and purge the abominations.

But, that would be a bad idea for several reasons.

Besides, she was not about to rob the Wardens their chance of actually fulfilling their order's duty.

Now, how to get their attention? Miara pondered with a fingertip tapping her lip.

After a few seconds of deliberation, the dunmer in disguise dropped out of invisibility, enjoying the look of sheer surprise the monsters were actually capable of doing. She smiled back at them.

Then she casted daedric curse at the nearest Hurlock, and made his body blow up into bloody pieces.

"Bo fah zu'u!" The elf roared in dovahzul as the Hurlock alpha roared back as if accepting the challenge. Hefting up it axe it pointed for the dunmer which began to ran with the Darkspawn hot on her heals.

She dashed like the wind through the encampment dodging several arrows and blasts of magical energy from the Emissary. As she ran a Hurlock came from out a hidden brush to ambush her. A predatory smile sprang from her lips as she slid under the beast avoiding its sword, the seconds it left itself open fire grew from her hand. The blighter's head was literally blown off by the sheer power of the fireball that shot upwards. Its black blood sprayed like a fountain before falling forward onto the ground dead.

She was back on her feet and sprinting as she smiled back at the charging horde. Her action seemed to anger the Alpha Hurlock as it snarled fiercely.

She ran through the bridge and into the swampy field, with a snap of her fingers she casted levitation and held it off long enough for her feet to just skid in the air just a few inches away from the greased ground. She turned around as she flew back, enjoying the sight of the Darkspawn still chasing after her.

The first row slipped on the grease, falling to the ground face first into it. The second row didn't bother to stop and just jumped over their bodies, only to find themselves in the same situation as their feet just slipped or buried themselves on the sludge filled surface. A few still tried to crawl forward and even walk with a very clunky gait. She had to give them credit, the bastards were relentless.

The elf made it back safely to the others, taking note of the elevated position their ranged fighters now took a few feet behind them in rock formations Brianna and Neria had conjured up for them. Miara quickly nodded to Marcus, who gave the order. "Set them ablaze!"

Neria and Brianna fired bolts of fire. They didn't even try to aim for the Darkspawn, but it did not matter, the grease suddenly became alive with hungry flames, spreading very quickly and engulfing the Darkspawn that had fallen to their trap.

"I am having the disturbing realization that I like setting things on fire" Brianna confessed, "It is not a good trait to have"

Absently Neria could count the few dozen times her longtime friend had a little _too_ fun with fire magic at the tower but stayed focused on the task. Everyone observed with morbid satisfaction as the corrupted monsters burned to their deaths.

Until a frozen wave washed over them as ice enveloped the flames and the Emissary hovered above the bridge. Beside it were the Alphas who snarled with now a group of lesser Darkspawn at their command.

Marcus cursed but the plan worked for the most part, thinning the enemies to a more manageable range. Miara drew her Dawnbreaker which glowed with holy fire. "Neria, Brianna, Serana! Deal with the Emissary!" The young noble ordered; "We will handle the rest!"

"On it!" The hooded Nord yelled back as ice coated her hands.

Daveth wasted no time to line up his shots and let loose, yet the bolts harmlessly bounced back of the genlock's great shield. Alistair let out a war cry as he charged; bringing his sword down upon the stout Alpha, yet this one parried it with a swing of its sword and pushed the Warden away with a shield bash. Ser Jory joined in the fray, greatsword raised above his head, yet the genlock used its height to its advantage to block the attack with its shield, pushing its body against Jory's kicking his legs and making him lose his balance, flipping him over to the ground.

It snarled; sword poised to strike him down, Ser Jory's eyes widened in terror, cold sweat dripping from his face as he stared at his imminent demise. Yet it was not to be, as the brave mabari chomped on the genlock's armored sword arm and pulled. The alpha, unable to attack the hound, tried shaking him off, before delivering a strong blow against the mabari with the edge of its shield. The let out a whimper as it reared back, letting go at last. It recoiled in pain upon receiving kick from the genlock's armored boot. Rearing the sword back it prepared to jab the blade directly unto the hound.

Only for Alistair to intercede, bashing his shield against the genlock with such force in his charge the creature was thrown to the ground. Beside him Sofie charged with a roar.

Close by Gin's daggers danced alongside Marcus's swords as they slashed through the flesh of the corrupted blighters who charged them. The city elf's speed matched with the young noble's power worked flawlessly to one another as their backs were to each other.

Miara weaved and dodged the ferocious powerful swings of the Hurlock Alpha's axe that despite its size was deceptively quick. "Los daar pah sunvaar!" The dunmer mocked as her movements were one step above the enraged Darkspawn attacks. However much to her annoyance it dodged and blocked strikes from Dawnbreaker and Dragonbane. Their intelligence wasn't exaggerated as the beast knew being struck by those weapons would be a death sentence for it.

Magical energy flew around them with young Wardens recruits and undead necromancer firing at the Emissary who retaliated against the trio. It let out a bone chilling shriek deflecting lightning, fire, and ice spells while attacking with its own.

The unholy mage raised its hands and conjured forth a pale glow from them, a wave of dark miasma stretched over the battlefield and towards the mages. Serana and Neria casted barriers just in time to block the horrible wave of disease from reaching them.

But Brianna had been unrelenting on her assault, choosing to cast lightning over and over at the creature, even as it struck against an invisible ward that covered its body. The toxic cloud reached her, and Brianna fell to the ground, emptying the contents of her stomach, her skin turning a sickly pale color.

"Bri!" Neria shouted in alarm.

"I got her!" Serana disappeared like mist, safely traversing through the toxic air as she reappeared next to, Brianna, casting a barrier field around them to push the miasma back. "Keep it busy!" She immediately searched through her pouches as she turned the young woman over, forcing a healing potion down her lips next to a cure disease flask.

The elven mage found within her a new surge of drive that she had been lacking all this time, never before had she wanted to strike down something with so much anger. The Emissary casted fire bolts over and over at the two dark haired women, Serana constantly switching between keeping the barrier up and making sure Brianna wouldn't succumb to the poison.

She acted on instinct, her movements almost weren't her own as her body just reacted, rearing her arm back as she channeled the familiar, powerful and comforting magic she had used in the Fade. A golden spear formed on her hand and she hurled it.

It soared, leaving behind a trail of golden motes, bypassing the Darkspawn's ward completely and impaling it on the chest. It wailed in agony as the sheer raw energy proved to be hurting it immensely, not unlike Miara's sword. Its body burned with golden magic, before soon crumbling to the ground.

The miasma soon faded as amazement shone briefly in Alistair's and Ser Jory's eyes before resuming their battle with the Genlock Alpha. However disbelief was visible on the faces of the three ladies of Tamriel, however questions have to wait as they battled the remaining Darkspawn.

Color returned to Brianna's face as she was helped up by Serana; "Thank you." The Nordic woman gave a nod before turning to a mist and going to aid her lover. "Have to ask how she did that…" Gripping her staff she unleashed a fury of lightning with renewed fervor.

A growl came from Tabris' throat as he dodged around a Genlock's sword before running his daggers into the beast's head. Marcus parried a Hurlock's mace before slashing through the blighter's armor with one sword before striking with his family's sword through its heart. The Cousland froze as a Shriek had appeared beside him to attack only for a bolt to pierce its head. Marcus gave a nod to Daveth who focused on the two remaining alphas

Fighting the Hurlock Alpha reminded Miara of her bouts with ancient revenants, big and unholy strong. She ducked under a swing of the war axe, briefly being baffled at the sheer size of it and with how much ease the Alpha could wield it. It was doing a good job at keeping Dawnbreaker from striking distance its flesh and keeping Miara on her toes. The dunmer attacked with a left swing of her katana, only for the beast to block it with a swipe of its armored arm, making Miara stagger back.

She bit back a curse as the axe came down towards her, seeking to cleave her in two. But she back flipped away quickly and glared at the monster with irritation.

Serana soon appeared at her side scowling; "You could try magic on this thing you know." The elf only dryly glared back before rolling her eyes.

"Okay, fine" She channeled lightning through her fingertips. Honestly she could have used magic from the beginning to make the whole fight easier, but her warrior's pride was as much a virtue as it was a handicap sometimes.

Both she and Serana struck the Alpha with lightning, this one staggered and shivered as the arc of lightning coursed over its body... and yet it still swung its axe at them.

"Are you kidding me?!" Both ladies hollered as they kept their distance from the beast that attacked more viciously towards them. It soon hissed as several bolts from Daveth's crossword bit into its flesh, charging her magic Neria formed another spear and threw towards the beast but this one dodged it.

A low growl came from the dovahkiin as her patience was wearing thin " **Wuld**!" the word was a whisper but Miara soon was like a blur before appearing in front of the monstrous blighter, running Dawnbreaker straight through its heart. Its death cry bellowed throughout the Wilds as holy fire scorched and engulfed the large beast. It war axe fell from the beast's hand just as Miara pulled out her blade the Darkspawn becoming to ash and collapsing to the ground as the elf walked away.

"Always for the dramatics," Serana gibed with dry smirk. Her lover only waved her off as they turned to their final prey.

Sofie evaded the huge shield of the large alpha Genlock as it lashed out at her and Ser Jory. Alistair huffed with Loke growing lowly ready to pounce. Marcus and Gin soon ran over with the dragonborn and Nordic vampire following. Though now alone the Genlock only seem to act more violently while it was slowly being surrounded. Nearby Neria and Brianna ready their spells while Daveth readied a bolt.

Then the ground froze underneath the Alpha Genlock, causing it to lose its balance and slip, its head falling perfectly over a spike of ice that emerged from the underneath, piercing its head and taking out its eye in a gruesome display. Its body slumped against the ice as black blood flowed from underneath.

"There" Serana said with exasperation, looking at her lover with open annoyance. "Was that so hard?"

"You take the fun out of everything..."

"This was 'fun' to you?" Neria replied incredulously, choosing not to look at the skull pierced dead genlock.

"Bit of advice" Miara spoke sagely, "This is your life from now on, so you better come to enjoy it. Or bear with it in some way"

"She's right you know" The young Warden among them spoke, "Why do you think I joke so much?"

"Poor taste?" Gin droned.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Thankfully for the group that was last of any Darkspawn along with any tainted beasts, or at the very least the ones in their area within the Wilds. Having taken a short break to rest and some water they marched further towards an enormous destroyed longhouse connected to two even larger towers. Time and nature had long reclaimed the place as vines and several trees grew through it. Alistair walked ahead of Marcus and the others to inspect the engraving at the ruin's entrance.

Neria beheld the ruins with awe; "Out of everything this one is most intact."

"The architecture is still quite beautiful though," Serana admired beside her lover and their daughter.

"Definitely Dwarven-make," Marcus chimed as he recalled the tour of Orzammar with Sereda when they were children. "They build things to last. The style is Tevinter of course, but they would often hire dwarves to craft for them"

"Should be quite a bit of loot in there if the Wilders have not plundered it all this time." All eyes shift over to Miara who dryly glared back; "If there are armor schematics in there, they are mine." She proclaimed in utter seriousness.

Sofie only rolled her eyes while she shook her head. "Naturally the first thing on your mind when we find ruins is find something related to smithing." Serana droned with sarcasm laced in every word.

Amell only glanced to Ser Jory who dryly shook his head at the conversation. At the ruin entrance Alistair ripped off the vines covering the engraving of a griffon; "Yup! These are the Warden ruins." He announced returning everyone's attention to him.

Sharply Miara's and Serana's eyes turn towards a broken window. It was only a moment but they both felt a strong burst of powerful magic come from within the said ruins.

"Be on your guard" Miara whispered to the group. "We're not alone, there's magic around"

The more level headed individuals of the group keep a careful to their surroundings. Ser Jory gulped despite himself; he feared no foe he could take on with a blade, but magic? He had no way of fighting that.

Neria and Brianna exchanged glances worriedly before nodding, preparing themselves in case a quick cast was in need.

"It's no Darkspawn" Alistair disclosed to them discretely. "I can tell you that much"

"Let's get what we came for and leave" Gin proposed, eager to leave these death filled wilds.

The longhouse had long since crumbled, but some of the supporting structure remained. Alistair walked in front of the group in search for the copy of the Warden treaties, remembering Duncan's directions regarding the possible location of the chest that contained them.

It wasn't that hard really, the chest was at the end of the ruin's crumbled wall... problem was, it wasn't the only thing that had crumbled.

"Ugh, blast it all" The Warden spat, "The chest is trashed" He knelt down and began picking through the broken fragments.

Neria peered over his shoulder, "And the documents?"

"The chest's enchantment should have preserved them, but with the thing broken they may as well be dust now. Humidity is not good for parchment, I hear" He dryly quipped before slapping a hand against his kneed in irritation. "They're not here, and chances are they did not survive"

A chorus of groans went around the Warden recruits, "Fantastic" Brianna spoke tiredly, "All that fighting for nothing"

"We did get the blood at least?" Daveth tried to look at the glass half full.

Marcus pursed his lips in thought, "Are the documents vital for their initiation?"

"Not really" Alistair replied with a shake of his head as he stood up once again, "They're just copies. Duncan has the originals, but still, better to be safe and have the second set in case anything happened to first one"

Miara was going through the possibilities on how to help them in her mind, musing about the odds of finding the treaties with a clairvoyance spell, when they all heard it;

"Well, well, what have we here"

The sultry words were spoken with playfulness to them. But not the kind one would associate with a good gestured greeting, no. Those with more experienced recognized it for what it was, a predator sizing up their prey.

There, coming down from the steps that once lead to an upper level of the structure, walked down a wilder woman. Her hair dark, her clothes very revealing, looking like they were handmade from a mixture of tanned leather and rags. But despite her visible physical beauty that would captivate most men, her most prominent trait was those piercing golden eyes of hers.

The woman's steps were slow, deliberate, purposely keeping herself in the shadows near one of the tower stairways as she came forward. "I must say you have cause quite stir, noisily tearing through the Darkspawn and tainted beasts they had thralled. T'is begs the question, why venture to the wilds an cause such a ruckus hmm?"

Marcus came beside Alistair who stood ready to draw his sword; "We were seeking the Grey Warden treaties, my lady," the Cousland responded back courteously as to not cause an unwanted conflict with the woman.

"My such polite words, rare to hear such in the Wilds. But then again the Chasind do lack the formal education that a highborn like yourself would have been privy to." Her words surprised Marcus as she chuckled; "Your stance and words give you away 'milord'." She chuckled again.

To most of the party, the woman was a mystery.

Outlandish was the first thought that came to both Miara's and Serana's minds eyeing the woman's attire.

"Careful" Neria advised the group, not too loud but she also wasn't pretending the wild woman couldn't hear them if she spoke low enough. "This is clearly an apostate"

"And a wildling" Alistair added gravely, "Where there is one then others are nearby"

The woman rolled her eyes, "Oh please, spare me your 'civilized' notions of magic and tribesmen. Do you fear your every shadow swooping down upon you?"

"Well, swooping is bad" Alistair replied snidely.

Miara rolled her eyes. Not the best comeback she heard. And by looking at Serana's expression it was clear her beloved felt the same, she prided herself on quick wit after all, and she could have come back with something better.

"There is no need for any violence" Ever the diplomat, Marcus intervened with his hands raised before placing one to his chest. "Let me introduce myself, I am Marcus Cousland"

"Ah!" She smiled pleased, "So refreshing to see someone actually capable of staying their sword, rather than waving them around like meandering morons at anything they consider 'different'" She replied, directing a sneer at Neria and Alistair. "If there are to be introduction, you may call me Morrigan"

"Your outfit is completely improper"

The witch now named Morrigan blinked a couple of times at the tall elf. "I beg your pardon?"

"Is it a local native's fashion choice, or are you leaving your vital organs so exposed on purpose?" Miara asked sincerely. "Because it looks like the next of kin to the infamous 'chainmail bikini' unless- Oh, I get it! It's a distraction tactic"

Said attire being obviously homemade with a mix of dark leathers and purple cloth. Morrigan's top being rather revealing giving a view of her bosom but keeping her nipples covered with the purple cloth and small clothes. She was a young woman around Neria's age with fair flawless skin, her raven colored hair up with carved wooden clip. Of course the sight of her alone would be tantalizing to any hot blooded male.

Brianna would not be caught dead in those clothes in her opinion. Sofie cocked her head gazing at the woman who dryly glared at her elven mother. "I'd still bed her though…" The nord admitted under her breath.

Marcus chose to ignore that comment, and the expression on Morrigan's face indicated she wanted to as well. "Lady Morrigan?" The apostate glanced over to the young noble; "Would you happen to know where the Warden treaties are?"

"At least one amongst you know how to be polite" The woman of the wilds replied.

"I can be polite" Miara quickly cut it, "I just don't want to"

Morrigan continued as though she wasn't interrupted. "But I'm afraid they're here no longer"

Alistair jumped to accuse her, an antagonistic frown upon his features. "'Here no longer'? Why, you stole them you... you... thievy witch!"

The city elf gave him deadpanning look, "Smooth" And gave him a sarcastic thumbs up.

Feeling a headache growing, the Cousland sighed while pinching the bridge of his nose. "Do you know where they are now, who took them?"

"'Twas my mother of course"

Neria frowned as she tilted her head, "Your mother?" Another apostate mage?

"Indeed, my mother" Morrigan replied with snort, "Do you believe us witches just spawn out of the mud of the swamp?"

"Wouldn't be the first time I've seen that happen" Serana pointed out.

Brianna took a step forward, "Would you be willing to take us to her?"

"Ohh alas you're not alone in your politeness, 'milord'" The witch grinned. "And a mage with power to her I feel. Hah, you" She pointed at the human mage, "You I like"

"Careful with witches" Alistair warned her, "One moment they're 'I like you' and then ZAP... frog time"

"Polymorph can be nightmarish..." Miara muttered, the memories of Brelyna's experiments still fresh on her mind. The elf felt a tap on her shoulder shifting her attention to see Ser Jory leaning beside her;

"We should be careful with this Morrigan my lady. Witches of the wilds are known to be highly treacherous and very dangerous." He paused as the elf saw genuine fear in the man's face; "Who knows what of magic she-…" Miara placed a calming hand on the man's shoulder.

"If we're met with a battle against powerful mages, trust in your comrades to see it through beside you. And don't let superstition cloud your mind or judgment. You're a knight Ser Jory, trust in the experience and skills that brought you here."

The elf's tone was stern and commanding, reminded Jory of Lord Bryce in a lot ways. It was enough to quell the man's concerns as he gave a nod of respect before he stood straight. Gin and Daveth who overheard everything before taking a glance to one another.

Sofie stepped forward nearing Alistair; "Then may you take us to your mother please?"

"…Since you asked nicely, avvar, I shall take you to her. Follow me."

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Leaving the ruins the group followed Morrigan through a very well hidden trail passed several trees and bushes. Simplistic, but also very at the same time clever in using the natural elements to make the path invisible unless you were paying close attention to your surroundings. Alistair kept an alert regard to their guide who subtly glanced to Marcus. Loke sniffed ground beside Miara before her; Serana, Sofie, Neria, and Brianna stop and sharply turn their heads.

The Cousland had took notice as he stopped making the others follow suite; "Something wrong?" Morrigan only smirked as she observed quietly.

At first the ladies did not respond as they all surveyed the area. "We passed through a barrier." Serana responded as her eyes inspected every detail around them.

"Indeed," the young wildling witch acknowledged garnering the group's attention. "While normally it is easy to keep Chasind away with their silly superstitions, mother took no chances once the Darkspawn crawled out from the Deep Roads."

But it was doing more than keeping Morrigan and her 'mother' invisible from the blighters. The hidden Dunmer grew still as could feel an immense power further ahead of them. It was old, ancient, easily rivaled her along with Serana who now took notice. Her lover's eyes grew wide before glancing to Miara who nodded gravely.

This overwhelming power was eerily similar to beings both had encounters numerous times in Tamriel.

Even Sofie, how had spent her life next to such beings, knew it instinctual by now. She shared a concerned look with her mothers, who silently told her to keep quiet with nothing but their gazes.

They approached a simple hut in the middle of a clearing, a patch of land next to the murky waters of the swamp. There she was waiting for them.

An older woman dressed in plain but well-kept clothing. Hair having gone white with the years with wrinkles adorning her face. The most noticeable feature was her piercing golden eyes, which obviously Morrigan had inherited them from.

But the Tamriels saw beyond that, they could feel inside the old woman a force, power of ages past. This form of hers was just a shell, a disguise to what truly laid beneath. The dunmer could feel it in her very soul.

Miara's eyes narrowed dangerously as the elderly woman met her gaze with a mischievous glint to them.

"Mother" Morrigan spook as she approached, the group not far behind them. "I bring-"

"Interesting guests" Her mother replied in a rather aged husky voice.

The dragonborn felt her hand tighten around the hilt of her katana, old instincts surging forward as her soul cried out to demand obedience.

...But was this woman truly what she thought? The soul certainly felt like one, yet at the same time there was something off. Something that Miara couldn't quite put her finger on.

And it unnerved her greatly, feeling there was an important piece of a puzzle she was missing.

As the group stopped in front of the elder woman Brianna and Neria were tense as they felt the magical power emanating from the woman was quite intimidating for the young mages. Daveth was considerably wary along with Jory and Gin while Marcus kept his emotions in check. Alistair eyed both Morrigan and her mother with his sword hand at the ready if anything goes wrong.

Sofie kept a hand on Loke's collar as the large mastiff growled. His body was rigid as his fur stood on ends, the elderly woman glanced at the hound before looking to Marcus who stood at the head of everyone. "I take it you are the leader of this little group?"

"Yes ma'am," the Cousland gave respectful nod; "I am an ally of these Grey Wardens." He gestures to Alistair and the recruits before pointing over to Miara, Serana, and Sofie. "Those three-"

"Are from very far off shores." The elder woman spoke cryptically. She ignored the shock from the young noble along with the others as she strolled over and stood in front of Miara; "I must confess; I did not expect anyone from Tamriel to journey to our lands." Morrigan's brow rose as she now paid attention to the three in question.

That was not what she truly was saying and Miara knew it as she glared back. This was a show of dominance, and the Dovahkiin would not display an ounce of weakness before this woman. "These are strange times," The dunmer uttered simply.

At that the woman chuckled; "Indeed my dear."

Marcus cleared his throat as the tension he felt between Miara and Morrigan's mother getting too uncomfortable to his liking. "Ma'am?" The woman shifted her eyes to the young noble; "We came here for-"

"The Grey Warden treaties. I was beginning to wonder when the order would finally come to claim them."

She waved her hand and old scrolls just... appeared on them. There was no flash of light or blur that distorted the air. They merely popped into existence.

The display of power sent Daveth into nearly panicking, muttering 'witch' under his breath as he took a step back. Ser Jory was sweating, hand already going for the handle of his blade.

"Unless you want to piss off the witch of the wilds" Gin advised, keeping his own hands from going to his blades. "Then you better not do anything stupid"

The old woman smiled dangerously, "Witch of the wilds? Oh my Morrigan has been entertaining you with tales haven't she?" Behind her, her daughter run a hand over her face in both annoyance and embarrassment. "Elves have sensitive minds. At times. Be sure to keep yours ever sharp, lad" She held up her hand with the scrolls to Gin, who suddenly found nervous at the attention the witch was giving him.

He took a step forward and took the scrolls, trying not to be too quick or too slow about it. He felt anything could set this witch off, like she was watching his every movement, waiting for a moment of weakness.

The city elf took the scrolls from her hand and felt he could breathe again. He immediately handed them to Neria, "Here, make sure they're not hexed..."

"We thank you for your generosity" Marcus politely replied with a bow of his head. "But now we must return to Ostagar"

"Indeed, the Horde is much more dangerous than your king believes" The warning had gotten the group's attention before she turned to her daughter; "Be a dear and help them back?"

Morrigan sighed lowly; "Very well." She gestured with a motion of her hand; "follow me."

Daveth and Ser Jory could not move quick enough as the group began to leave. Miara remained for a moment as she and the elderly woman stared at one another. Amusement danced in the woman's golden eyes as she only smiled. Neither spoke before the elf began to walk to the rejoin the others.

"Ruz tiid Thur," the woman chuckled quietly as she kept her sight on the departing group.

Serana and Sofie walked behind the others as Miara caught up with them. "That woman is a dovah," the dunmer spoke in a hush tone to her lover and daughter.

"A dragon who shapeshifted into a mortal?" Serana wondered in astonishment. "Never thought one would 'lower' themselves to do such a thing" Dragons were immensely proud creatures, for them to take the forms of beings they considered inferior to them, they would kill you for even suggesting such a thing.

"Once we're done at Ostagar, I want to come back here" Miara spoke again, "She may know more of the lands and the state of the… dragons here"

"You think she has answers?" Sofie wondered.

"She may yet do" Her mother shrugged, "It's not like we have any other lead"

At that, they couldn't disagree.

The dunmer in disguise let out a long sigh before turning her attention to a particular member of their party. It had been bugging her for a while, and now seemed a good time as any to ask her a few questions.

She had the feeling she wouldn't like the answers.

"So Neria, about those light spears you casted today…"

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 _ **Another chapter will be coming. And we all know what's next!**_


	12. The battle at Ostagar

_**Disclaimer:**_ We do not own the Dragon Age or Elder Scrolls series

 _ **Co-Author and Beta**_ : Etheral-23

 **The battle at Ostagar**

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For obvious reasons, Morrigan only led the group halfway through a hidden trail back to Ostagar. Having imparted directions for the rest of the way to Marcus, they had returned safely to the ancient ruins at dusk with several dozen bonfires being lit around the encampment for the night. The sight of the Ferelden regiment was welcoming for some members of the company as Neria sighed beside Brianna and Gin.

"Though I would like to say I never want to do that again. Not much of an opinion in our new profession is there?" The young elven mage murmured while resting her head on Amell's arm.

"Indeed lady Surana," Ser Jory remarked as he rubbed his neck. "We will be facing an indurating life ahead of us as Grey Wardens."

Beside the knight and Daveth, Gin let out a weary groan; "Just hope Duncan lets us rest before we do anything else." By the Maker that blasted forest was a deathtrap with all those damn Darkspawn running amok.

A chuckle came from the former Templar; "You'll least have an hour or two while we prepare your Joining ritual. Get some food or rest up if you need it." Loke barked happily garnering a pat on the head from Alistair; "You earn double for being a good soldier." At that the huge mastiff pranced around wagging his stubby tail.

"Don't spoil him." Marcus jested with a smirk.

"All those with a blade I want either me or the Quartermaster to have a look over them, also goes with your armors," Miara chimed with a serious expression. Though in her mind was going through a mental tirade on account of Sarya being anything BUT discreet! Of course her beautiful, brilliant, and insufferable youngest daughter found a way into the Fade and decided without even talking to her MOTHERS, taught a Thedosian mage the Aedric Spear!

Thanks to her hood, none saw the hidden scowl from Serana who currently felt like strangling her youngest daughter. Sofie only hoped someone here had some strong alcohol to alleviate this growing headache that was her sister.

Passing the camp of the Ash Warriors, they approached the Warden's camp with Duncan now dressed in proper Warden Leathers and armor stood at the center near a large campfire. Peering into the fire he soon shifted his gaze as the group neared. "Welcome back, I am glad all of you survived and are safe." The commander's words being sincere as he surveyed each one of them; "How was your first experience facing the Darkspawn?"

Surprisingly it was Neria who spoke first as she gripped her stave; "I-I froze." She said with shame in her voice. "Those… monsters were absolutely terrifying and when we first met them in battle, I froze…" Her voice a whisper before taking a long calming breath as the others looked at her. Duncan's face remained unreadable before the young elf continued and turned to Marcus; "It was Lord Cousland who got me to push my fear down and fight. For that I am grateful." She gave a small bow to the man who shifted awkwardly.

"No need to call me 'Lord Cousland' Neria. To be frank I did not like yelling at you, but I wanted you to understand how dangerous that place was and that not fighting could have killed us."

Duncan kept his steely gaze on the young elven mage; "How do you feel now Neria?"

"I will admit I still hate fighting, but I will use my magic to protect my friends and the people of Thedas against those blighters." Though her voice was shaky, her resolution was not, and that was all the commander of the Grey needed to hear as he nodded. Brianna gave her longtime friend a quick warm hug with a proud smile.

Miara smirked with a sideways glance to Neria before she took notice of Duncan's attention was to her, Serana, and Sofie; "And your opinions of the Darkspawn?"

"They are perverse abominations of life that must be eradicated," the dovahkiin spoke with grim finality as she crossed her arms under her bust. Both her lover and their daughter agreed with a silent nod.

"And you Marcus?"

The young noble took a deep resolving breath; "I won't let those beasts have their way with Ferelden. We will stop them here." At his side Loke barked in agreement. Marcus won't let those monsters near his mother, Iona, Oren, or Amethyne!

The Gray Warden nodded in approval, "Good, keep that candor. You will need it for the battle" He turned to his recruits, "Did you bring what was asked?"

"We did" Brianna said as she and Neria stepped forward, each sorting through their pouches. "Five vials of Darkspawn blood" The human mage said as she handed him the small crystal cases filled with black blood.

"And the treaties" The elven mage followed, holding the copy of the treaties in her hand.

"Well done" Duncan said as he took the vial, "You may keep those Neria"

"Are you sure?"

"The other treaties are secure with our belongings in the Gray Warden tents, but if by some chance they are destroyed on the battle, I'd rather you keep the copy for yourself"

The elf nodded, "Alright" And pocketed them right back on her pouch. It was best to be safe, so she agreed with Duncan's decision.

"Duncan" Alistair came forward, "The treaties were in possession of local wilder. Apostates at that"

"I see" The Warden Commander replied slowly, taking in the new information. "Did you fight them?"

"No, but-"

"Then it's no longer a concern. The treaties are with us, apostates or not it's none of our business. Leave that to the Chantry and the Templars"

"...Right," Alistair quietly sighed; "Old habit, my apologies."

As that mattered ended Duncan looked to everyone; "Now, Alistair and I must prepare the Joining ritual, this will take at least an hour so rest up till then. Marcus, Miara, Serana, Sofie. I thank you for assisting my recruits and Alistair."

"Glad to help," Sofie grinned with a short nod.

"Once the Joining is over I wish to speak with you Miara," Duncan spoke quickly before the group diapered. The elf gave a nod as she left with Serana and Sofie.

"Wonder what that is about?" Serana questioned garnering a shrug from her elven lover. "At any rate I think we all earned a break."

"And some alcohol." Sofie murmured as she stretched her arms. "I haven't had a workout like that in a while."

Before Miara could retort back a young elf in plain clothes ran up to them; "Lady Miara Redoran?" They stopped walking as the older elf gave a nod; "Teyrn Loghain wishes to speak with you."

Okay... Well that was odd but the dunmer shrugged before looking over to her lover and daughter; "I'll catch up with you two."

"Try not to piss off the nobility," Serana remarked in a cheeky tone as she and Sofie left.

An annoyed grumble came from the Dovahkiin rolling her eyes before peering back to the messenger; "Lead the way."

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"The king and general Loghain are busy at the moment" The guard dutifully informed Marcus, barring him from approaching the royal tents.

Hmph, so much for some last minute words with Cailan and Loghain. Oh well, they had pressing matters to attend to. If the reports were correct, the main Darkspawn horde that was marching upon them was approaching. He reckoned it would only be a matter of hours before they arrived and the battle was joined in full.

"Very well" He said, still unsatisfied. "Can I leave a message for you? There is something I need to ask them" He needed to know if there was any new information about his brother.

It was not the guard who answered, but a woman's voice from behind him. "Perhaps I can help you instead"

He turned to see a familiar smiling face. Blue eyes that stared mirthfully at him, black hair tied in a bun with two strands framing the sides of her face. She wore heavy plates over chainmail that concealed her strongly built frame, with wolf's fur adorning the area around her neck and back. On said back was a moderately ornate and finely crafted greatsword.

"Cauthrien" Marcus barked a small laugh, "I was wondering when I'd see you. I thought it weird you weren't stuck to Loghain's shadow"

Instead of being insulted, she took his jest in stride, "Assassins expect me to be at his shadows. They never see my blade coming anyway"

A chortle came from the Cousland as the two shook hands and departed from the royal tent. Both conversed as they roamed about the ruins, having become good friends several years ago during a skirmish with a large bandit group connected to slavers. It was a brutal battle but the two along with their trusted soldiers brought down the group and forged a strong friendship between them.

Crossing the large bridge the two plus Mabari stopped as they beholden to the vast forest below as the sun set. Cauthrien rubbed the top of Loke's head before glancing to her friend; "I... heard what happened. I'm sorry."

A despondent gleam came to Marcus's eyes; "Once the Darkspawn are dealt with I'll be paying a visit to Rendon." A low growl came from his throat as he controlled his rage.

"To face trial." The Cousland sharply turned his head with a heated glare which was met with his friend own steely stare. "I want nothing more than to cut that bastard in half as much as you for what he did. But we do this the right way." Her voice was stern and speaking with reason.

Those words sparked his conversation he had before with Miara on their way here days prior. Quelling his temper the man nodded before gazing back to the forest. "I was going to ask Loghain or his majesty if any news came from Fergus."

"I can tell you that, none so far." Cauthrien stated with an apologetic tone. "But they should be arriving back soon." She said quickly so not to let her friend worry.

A nod came from young man as he sighed; "Faced my first Darkspawn when going with the Warden recruits along with Miara, her lover, and their oldest daughter."

"Heard about some foreign mercenaries that were in the employ of the Wardens" Loghain's right hand commented. "Are those them?"

"It's... more complicated than that. Miara's an elf, from far off shores, across the sea"

"Truly?" Her eyes were wide with disbelief.

"Indeed, she stayed at Castle Cousland for a time as a guest. Since then she's quickly been becoming a friend" He smiled in remembrance, "I can safely tell you she's to be trusted, and her skill on the battlefield is something to behold. Having her on our side is an asset"

"I'll take your word for it" She smiled good naturedly, "You're not an easy man to impress. I still remember your face when I showed you I could wield this monster with just one hand" She thumbed the blade's handle over her shoulder. "Not many women who can do something like that" Qunari women didn't count, for obvious reasons.

Marcus feigned a sound of awkwardness, hissing a breath through his teeth. "So sorry to inform you Cauthrien, but Sofie, Miara's daughter, can also wield a two handed blade in one hand. I'm afraid you're not the only one anymore" He laughed internally at her expression.

"...You mean that avvar-looking woman?" She numbly asked. "I've seen her sparring with the recruits. Maker, she's a mountain. Her arms make mine look feeble"

Which was no easy feat, until he met Sofie, he believed Cauthrien to be the most brawny woman knew. Those arms of her made wielding a large sword like hers a child's play.

"You should try sparring with her" He said, "I imagine the two of you would have fun"

A chuckle came from the woman; "I just might once this madness is done with."

"You think this could be Blight? I mean the amount of Darkspawn out here is too large for a standard horde." Marcus questioned with a glance.

Cauthrien shrugged in response; "Honestly I can't say, while I agree the Darkspawn numbers are larger than normal. We have not seen an ArchDemon flying the skies or in the wilds."

At that Marcus paused as he recalled the tales from Aldous; "I heard a few tales on how intelligent those tainted Old Gods are. And a few stories from Duncan on the way here"

"You sound like his majesty," The woman jested with a coy smirk with hands on her hips. "You're a believer in facts and logic as much as I and Lord Loghain are. At best this horde could be led by some Darkspawn Alphas."

That was a possibility too as Marcus thought for moment. For all they knew this could be exactly like Loghain had deduced this as being an abnormal sized horde and not a Blight. But what was father always said? 'Examine every fact thoroughly before leading to assumptions'. A murmur came from the young noble; "Hope for the best and be prepared the worst I suppose."

"Should be our motto considering all the supposedly 'routine' missions we've done together." Cauthrien gave a dismissive snort. Loke gave a grumbling bark as if agreeing with her.

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"Ahhh there we go" The kennel master said with a large relieved smile on his face. He gently placed the flowers the young elven mage had given him on the alchemy table. "These will definitely cure the big pupper"

"Mabari are a fascinating breed" Brianna spoke with interest as she observed the battle hounds. To think Tevinter managed to breed a creature with such intelligence and particularly a potential resistance to the Blight. It intrigued her to no end.

"Will he truly be alright?" Neria asked with concern. She wasn't too familiar with mabari biology, and despite being informed about how their race could either adapt or die to the Taint, it still left her rather anxious.

"Well these beauties he certainly will help" The man spoke with certainty. "You know, perhaps you could try coming over after the battle. Maybe he'll imprint on you"

The elf blinked a couple of times in surprise, "Me?"

"Why not?" The kennel master shrugged, "You were able to muzzle him. And now thanks to you he'll live"

Neria Peered over to the kennel where the huge grey furred mastiff was lying on some hay. He was awake and was looking right at her. "...I always wanted a dog," She spoke a in a soft voice with a smile tugging her lips.

The kennel master looked pleased at her words while Brianna rolled her eyes. Oh she could tell a few stories of Neria when she was younger but she was not as sarcastic as Serana. Bidding the man their farewells leaving the man to his work, Neria giving a small wave to grey mabari who lifted his muzzled head letting out a light bark.

Brianna snorted seeing the child-like smile from her friend; "Well knowing you will getting a dog after this mess made your day better."

"Didn't you steal Anders kitten he found because you thought you could a better job than him raising it?"

"Well I did considering all he ever does is run away," Brianna boasted while not hiding the small blush on her cheeks.

Nearing the mages/Templar camp Wynne's voice could be heard with a strained calm. "How many times must I tell you before you understand Uldred?"

A man's voice remarked back in a deep aged tone; "Your opinion, out of the rest of the Senior Enchanters, holds more sway with Irving. More than that, I know you agree with some of the views of the Libertarians."

Both young mages knew that voice and held back a hiss. Walking around one of the tents there they saw Wynne with an irritated expression next to a bald middle-aged man in mixed black leather and red cloth battle robes. His expression stern as he held his stave tightly.

"Senior Enchanter Uldred." Amell drawled with mild disdain.

"Right, I forgot he was assigned to Ostagar too" Neria dourly said, feeling the tips of her ears drop slightly.

It wasn't that Uldred was a bad man, he was... hard to get along with. The Libertarian made his views quite clear on everyone; constantly pushing the boundaries of what the Chantry deemed 'acceptable' and openly criticizing everyone who disagreed with him. His attitude had made him quite a few enemies within the political factions of the Circle. And that wasn't going into how the man's disposition as a teacher, always so unreasonably demanding to his students. Most young mages knew better than to sign up for his classes if one wanted to retain their self-esteem intact.

Never one to waste an opportunity, it looked like he was, yet again, trying to convince Wynne to join the Libertarians. In Brianna's honest opinion, one would have better luck asking water to stop being wet.

"This is neither the time, nor the place, Uldred" Wynne replied in a much sterner tone than she would give to her students. "Maker's sake, we're about to fight the Darkspawn. Can you not for fraction of a second push aside the politics and focus on the task at hand?"

The bald mage narrowed his eyes displeased at his fellow senior enchanter. "Very well" He grunted in resignation, "I have to prepare for the war meeting anyway, and" His eyes shifted to the young Warden recruits, who merely stared back silently at him, "It seems you have company. Amell, Surana" He cordially said. If cordiality implied an ice cold tone.

"Senior Enchanter" Brianna said neutrally. She never got along with Uldred.

"Imagine my surprise when I heard the news" The older mage said airily. "What a fine mess you two got yourselves in. Fortunately for you both, the Wardens were there to save your skins"

Neria bit her lip in remembrance of what happened that day. "Yes, we were fortunate"

"Hmph, the two of you Wardens" Ugh, he sounded so condescending. "Mock battles tests were never your forte, Surana. And Amell, are you ready to follow orders? You always had... problem with authority"

 _'Look who's talking'_. It was a miracle Brianna managed to keep her mouth shut. "I believe I can do my duty"

His posture said he very much wanted to roll his eyes at that, "Says the young woman who could not even deliver a paper on time"

"That was five years ago, I got the measles and had to be put on quarantine!"

"And yet, you did not use that extra time to study"

"Enough." Wynne reserved finality with deep frown at her fellow enchanter. "You have a meeting to prepare and attend to Uldred."

The older man grunted before striding passed the two recruits with a cold scowl directed at them both. As he left the elderly woman let out a weary groan; "I swear that man has not stopped with his constant hounding since coming here."

"You would think dealing with the Darkspawn would take priority over politics." Brianna drawled as she shook her head.

At those words Wynne lifted a brow; "I honestly was always surprised you never joined the Libertarians Amell."

Brianna only scoffed as she crossed her arms; "I never cared for the fraternities in general. They all spout nonsense as far as I was concerned."

Wynne never could fully figure out Amell. She had a rebellious streak much like Anders but never went to the lengths he had gone to. Never stopped her though from being fiercely outspoken and openly argued with Greagoir and Irving either.

"So" The white haired mage changed the subject, "How did you fare in your first battle, Neria?"

The dark tanned mage let out an explosive breath, "Oh Maker it was... terrifying. There was so much going on, so much... noise, just shouts and weapons clashing, and death..."

Wynne nodded in sympathy for the poor girl. She remembered the first time she participated in an open battle like that. "Indeed, a battlefield can be nightmarish. It takes experience to keep a level head through it all"

"I liked it" And then there was Brianna, whose own experience of the whole thing was... a touch different than Neria's. "It felt like I truly use my magic at last, like I had all, all this" She waved her hands, as though trying to grasp for a word that eluded her mind. The smile on her face was that of pure thrill. "Energy buried inside me, and I could finally let it all out"

Both Neria and Wynne shared a long flat inexpressive gaze at Amell. "Well I am at least happy you discovered a 'healthy' outlet for yourself," the Senior Enchanter quipped wryly.

* * *

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* * *

Miara had seen young Marcus attempting to have a meeting with Loghain but was dismissed by the guards. Then met with a woman who the elf later learned was the Teyrn's top lieutenant Ser Cauthrien, who seemed a friend of the Cousland as they departed chatting lively. Waiting for the Teyrn to finish counseling the young king, Miara leaned against a stone pillar with her arms crossed under her bust.

Her eyes regarded Masser and Secunda as they illuminated the arriving starry night sky. The elf's ears twitched at the sound of movement before gazing downwards to Loghain's tent seeing the guards move as the king departed. Though his expression was tense, his eyes remained calm as he walked away. Loghain appeared just at the threshold of the tent entrance with a deep scowl before rubbing his eyes tiredly with a groan.

"He has both Maric's and Rowan's stubbornness. How my Anora can rein him in only the Maker knows." The Ferelden general grumbled with a quiet huff. His eyes soon shifted feeling a gaze and seeing the foreign elven woman Miara strode towards him; "Miara Redoran I presume."

The elf gave a nod as she stopped before giving a respectful bow to the man; "Greetings Teyrn Loghain Mac Tir, the Couslands told me quite a bit about you during my stay with them."

"Marcus has spoken about you as well. He owes his life and those of his remaining family and subjects to you" The general replied.

"No debts are owned" Miara sincerely stated, "I did the right thing, nothing else, nothing more"

"Indeed" His tone was carefully, as if trying to assess her. Though he couldn't hid the look on his eyes. Mistrust, suspicion. In her long experience, working with several shady people, Miara knew when people were being suspicious.

Delphine's eternal paranoia was a bright forest fire compared to the dim glow in Loghain's eyes, but it was still one Miara was intimately familiar with.

"I'm sure Cailan will reward you anyway" He continued, his voice more even now. "He's enamored with the idea of a new continent, his excitement regarding meeting foreigners like you only trumped by his desire to fight the Darkspawn" Loghain said with annoyance.

"I'm sure you wish he could be more like his father then?" Miara had heard nothing but praise for the great rebel king Maric.

At that, Loghain barked out a rare laugh, "In some aspects I'd wish he was. In others... well, I think he has too much of his father as it is" The hero of River Dane paused, the elf observed various emotions from the man's face. "At the very least he does have his mother's common sense, when he feels inclined to use it," the last words came out as a quiet murmur but Miara heard it well.

Late Queen Rowan Theirin, daughter of Rendorn Guerrin and older sister of Arl Eamon of Redcliffe. Bryce and Eleanor both had spoken very highly of her as she too fought in the rebellions against Orlais. But she sadly had died due to an incurable illness when Cailan was but an infant.

It was tragic but not the reason Miara was requested to see the teyrn. "I understand you wish to speak with me."

"Indeed," The man invited the elf into his tent with a gesture. Kindly she took a seat on one of the chairs as he did the same at his makeshift desk/war-table. Neither spoke as they simply stared at one another with a measuring gaze. Though like many she had seen since coming to Ferelden, a measure of distrust and wariness. "I'm not much for small talk so will speak plainly with you. I do not trust you. Your daughter or your lover." The Teyrn's voice while not hateful, it held a frigid tone.

"And I'd question your reasoning if you did. Given what I have learned from my stay with the Couslands, Orlais left many with scars and wariness towards anyone outside your nation visiting." The stories told by Bryce, Eleanor, and Aldous she was amazed they allowed Ragnar's ship to even make port in Denerim.

Loghain leaned forward resting his elbows on his desk. "So I question, is it a bit strange your family splits up upon leaving Denerim, and you conveniently rescue Bryce from a band of cut throats."

The Dragonborn was seeing where these lines of questioning were going. And she honestly wondered why Bryce never asked something like this. Perhaps he was simply more open than his fellow Teyrn. "And if I was a possible spy for my country, bribing some bandits to attack one of the top nobility next to crown to make myself appear as a just person would smooth things over better."

Not the first time she had to go through something like this. Though it was in High Rock. "So I'll ask the question, are you and your 'family' spies for this Tamriel?"

"No." Granted that was an outright lie because they were, but not for the reasons Loghain was likely thinking of.

The general just looked at her with analytical eye for what felt a few minutes, trying to find any possible tell sign that she was lying. But Miara had perfected the art long ago, he would find nothing.

"Very well then" He said, it wasn't acceptance, but rather resignation that perhaps he wouldn't get anything else out of her. "So, I understand you'll be fighting with the Wardens"

"Correct" The elf nodded, "They appear to be a courageous order. It'll be an honor to fight at their side"

"Hmph, we'll see" He snorted skeptically.

At that Miara raised a brow in question, "You do not appear to hold them in high regard?"

"Wardens have a precarious history with Ferelden" He explained, "Only recently by Maric's generosity were they allowed to make a base in our lands once again"

"Right" She tried recalling the lessons on Ferelden history by Aldous. "They broke their neutrality and rebelled against Ferelden's king a few centuries ago"

If Loghain was surprised she knew of their history, he did not show it. "You'll forgive me if I keep a watchful eye on them. It's bad enough that Cailan is expecting Orlais to send their chevaliers to aid us" He nearly spat with distaste, "We can fight the Spawn on our own, we don't need the people who enslaved us to help us on some false pretension"

"The Blight threatens all" Miara pointed out.

"Save your lands." Loghain retorted with a cocked brow; "Marcus informed me there are no Darkspawn in Tamriel. Your nation has never suffered any Blight."

"Nor do I intend to allow it to spread to Tamriel." The elf commented with a steely resolve. However she saw a dismissive gleam from the man; "You do not think this is a Blight do you?"

"No, our scouts have not seen a single sighting of an Archdemon. At best this is a horde lead by several Alphas." The man wrapped his knuckles on his table as he surveyed his map; "And for that we have no need for Orlesian assistance."

Loghain hid it well but Miara could hear the edge of hatred in the man's tone. And eerily reminded her of someone she knew once, a long time ago. But not wanting to get into an argument with the general of the Ferelden armies she changed subjects. "So by extension of helping the Wardens you will keep an eye on me, Sofie, and Serana. I accept that." She paused for a moment. "We're both old enough to know trust is earned by actions and deeds. So let us show you while yes we are from a foreign land. We are here to help." Why she made herself useful at Highever training the soldiers and working at the forge with the Dwarven couple. To show Bryce's faith was not misplaced in her.

The Teyrn was quiet for a long moment before he gave a small nod; "I can agree with that."

Miara nodded back as she stood. "Then let us end these Darkspawn before they cause any harm to your nation. It was an honor to meet you Teyrn Loghain." She gave a respectful bow as the man stood and repeated the gesture.

"Same, may we speak again once this is over." The elf gave a nod as she left the tent.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Sofie sat among the soldiers as they all prepared themselves for the coming battle. The Nordic woman was able to find Carver easily amongst the rest taking a seat on some broken pillars. Quickly was she asked a number of questions, not only by him but by the others around them. Close by Aveline who listened in while conversing with some soldiers.

"I can't wait to test my blade against those things" The young man was eager, that much was obvious. "Finally, a chance to test my mettle"

"While I approve of that eagerness for battle" The large nord spoke, "Don't be a fool. Rushing in without thinking is a fast way to the grave. And you" She patted him in the shoulder, "seem quite headstrong"

He made a face that showed his displeasure, "You sound like my sisters"

"Well your sisters are wise then" Aveline commented idly while she peeled off an apple with a knife.

"Pfft, you wouldn't say that if you knew my elder sister Marian"

"I can attest to that" Sofie drone, "Met her in Lothering, sometimes I thought she's not all there in the head. Though she has quite the talent for gardening, almost magical really" She sent a mischievous grin at Carver. The young man could only stare in confusion before horrified realization dawned on him. Though Sofie was quick to put him at ease with a secret wink that went unnoticed by the others. "Tell me Carver, you're here to make something for yourself aren't you?"

"Father..." He began uneasily. "Well, Marian and Bethany always required more attention, so he spent more time with them. He taught me how to use a sword, but eventually I figured out the rest myself" He let out a snort, "It's frustrating, always being on your sibling's shadow"

"Oi, you think you have it bad kid?" Another soldier replied, "My own pa' never found a lesson he couldn't teach without a belt"

"My brother is an ass" Yet another soldier added, "Took his money and went off to live the 'high life', he hasn't spoken to us in years"

"Honor and glory are all fine and good" Aveline said, taking a bite from her apple. "But we're here to fight for Ferelden. Put your ambitions aside and focus on what truly matters right now"

A veteran soldier nodded beside the woman; "We are the barrier to the Darkspawn from attacking the rest of Ferelden. Protecting the people who cannot fight for themselves and our families. We are their sword and shield to defend them from this evil. This is not about us, this is about them."

His words seem inspire a few, earning some respectful nods. Carver said nothing as he looked down at his sword. Images flash in his mind as he sees his mother and sisters. The fight he had with Marian and their mother while Bethany bless her tried to play peacemaker as he left Lothering to aid in Ostagar came to his mind. Maker he wished it had not came to that, but he did not want to stay stuck in Lothering looking after his sisters who he knew could handle themselves. Was it selfish? Most likely, and he talk things over again once he came back home.

Course there was the gnawing fear he might not make it back and die here. He gripped his sword tightly as he shook his head; "I will survive this and make it home." His voice quiet as gazed up to the sky.

"It's good to stay positive" Sofie patted his shoulder. "You'll make your family proud."

Carver chuckled; "Just hoping some ogre doesn't crush me."

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Strolling through the camp Miara made her way to the Quartermaster who was going over Ser Jory's sword. She was glad the young man followed her advice, the knight gave a small greetings before leaving with his newly sharpen sword. The Quartermaster, who was a bald human man with stubby beard was surprised at first by the elven women being so tall. Then after speaking he realized it was the foreigner who knew some smithing as he was told by the Cousland earlier who came by.

After some light chatter he was impressed how well the woman knew the craft. Presently the man was sharpening a spearhead while Miara looked over several schematics for armors and weapons as Serana nearing them; "I should have guessed I'd find you here after speaking with the Teyrn," the vampire quipped dryly.

"Well you know me"

"Yes I do. Maybe someday you'll love me as much as you love the forge"

The dunmer in disguise rolled her eyes, "Duncan said he'll begin the ceremony to initiate the others soon"

"What do you think they need with the Darkspawn blood?" Serana questioned as she stood by her lover, crossing her arms with a pensive look on her face. "I have a theory, but I don't like it"

Miara's gaze darkened for a moment, "I can only guess, but... Alistair said Wardens can feel the Darkspawn. It can't be any coincidence"

Serana let out a sigh as she whispered loud enough for Miara's elven ears to hear her. "I believe they will take the Darkspawn blood, that way they'll be connected to the Blight and feel those things" The alchemist in her pondered the possibilities of what such a ritual would entail. Blood magic was a specialty of hers after all, it came with being a vampire. "The Wardens must have refined the procedure to avoid the Tainted blood killing those who take it. Even then, I'm not convinced it's a hundred percent safe"

The elf's eyes shifted worriedly for a moment, thinking of how to properly word her next sentence. Eventually she decided it was better to get it over with, "I got hit with a Tainted blood arrow on the swamp"

Dread glossed over Serana's eyes before Miara covered her mouth so not to scream out; "Let's go talk privately." She spoke in a hush tone before shifting to the Quartermaster; "How much for the schematics?"

"Free, just this once. You don't know how refreshing it is to speak to someone who truly knows smithing." The man smirked as he went back to work. Tucking away the papers into her belt satchel Miara left with Serana quickly beside her. Worry written on her face. They needed somewhere to talk, away from anyone around.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

The moons bathed light over the ruins as the recruits waited at a section of the ruins furthest away from the camp. Neria heaved a sigh beside Brianna who observed Ser Jory pacing about. Near the knight was Daveth and Gin playing with a deck of cards while sitting on the ground.

Neria only deadpanned at the two rogues; "Aren't both of you nervous?" She asked as she held her stave close.

"Course we are dear." Daveth spoke casually gazing at a card in his hand; "But letting it get to you won't help much now will it?"

His words did have merit Brianna quietly agreed, though Jory did not as he kept pacing. "You're going to wear out your boots before leaving an indent on the ground Ser knight." She jested trying to calm the tall man.

"I just don't get why we're still going through all these tests" Jory retorted with impatience, "Haven't we earnt our place already?"

"You sound scared" Gin noted, folding his hand. The cards just did not like him today.

The knight paused with a long sigh, "I just... have a bad feeling. Why so much secrecy? Wardens are notorious for their tight lips regarding their order. I don't like the fact they're holding their initiation ritual a secret"

"Many orders often keep such things close to their chests for multiple reasons" Neria said, trying to sooth the man's worries. "The Circle's own initiation is kept from the apprentices as well. And I'm sure you went through your own ritual when you were knighted"

The tall man actually chuckled at that, "It involved apples deep in a bucket of beer actually. But that was more of an 'unofficial' thing among my peers" His mirth soon washed away and the worry returned, "What if this initiation is dangerous? I have a child on the way"

Gin snorted, "And you thought fighting the Darkspawn was any safer for you?"

"Well, no..." He admitted sheepishly. "But I prefer an enemy I can beat with my blade"

"After seeing those things" Daveth said with a surprising level of maturity, "Wouldn't you give anything to keep that wife and child of yours safe?"

"I suppose..." The knight admitted. But... not coming back to them was a thought that haunted him.

Daveth shuffled his deck though kept his gaze on the knight, his eyes steely. "After what I saw in the Wilds, I am ready to do whatever I have to in order to stop those beasts." The rogue lowered his gaze to the ground; "I can say my life up this point really did not mean much. Just another lowly cut purse that would have likely been another neck stretched on the hangman's noose." He stopped shuffling his deck to point at Jory; "Or your blade chopping my head off for thieving. But after today, I can finally say I am doing something worth a damn. And if I die because of this ritual..." He points to Gin; "You get my crossbow and daggers."

"...You know you actually had me liking you more sounding so noble, till that last bit." Brianna droned with a shake of her head.

The recruits soon perk up as they seen Duncan and Alistair were striding towards them. The commander holding a simple yet beautiful chalice in both hands. "And so at last we come to the final test of becoming Grey Wardens, the Joining." Duncan's voice was steely and yet distant as he stopped in front of the group.

Alistair stood a good foot away with a solemn gaze towards everyone. A look that did not go unnoticed by Gin. "I take it this ritual it more than a little dangerous?" As he and Daveth rose to stand beside Jory.

"Indeed, many die taking part in this ritual." Duncan admitted as he gazed at all of them; "That reason is a part of why you all went to retrieve Darkspawn blood."

Neria's mind soon began connecting the dots, a sense of dread going up her spine. At first she thought it impossible, that there were no way the Wardens would actually employ such a thing into their initiation. But her more logical self was gaining ground, seeing the evidence presented to her. Alistair saying Wardens felt the Darkspawn...

Why else would they need the Darkspawn blood?

"You want us" She said, her voice nearly shivering, "to drink the blood?"

The eyes of her fellow initiates widened in shock and horror. Brianna stared incredulously at her friend while Daveth and Gin exchanged uneasy looks. Ser Jory looked like he was moments away from running away.

"Astute" Duncan complimented her with a nod. "I am not surprised you figured it out. Indeed, we drink Darkspawn blood to feel the Blight so we can end it" He tightened his fist passionately. "This, is the source of our power"

"But it's poison!" Gin exclaimed in outrage, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"The ritual is prepared so the lethality rate is reduced" Alistair explained solemnly, "Even then... not many make it"

"H-How could you have kept this from us?!" Jory demanded.

"How many would join the Wardens knowing what awaits them?" Duncan rhetorically asked with a shrug. "A thousand years ago, the Blight nearly ravaged the world. Bringing humanity, elven and dwarven kind to the brink of annihilation. We made the necessary sacrifices to stop it, we did what needed to be done..." He lifted the chalice to be nearly in front of his face. "What you must do"

For a moment, there was silence.

"Who shall be first?" The Commander asked.

The initiates looked at each other with uncertainty. Knowing there was a chance of death... How could anyone make such a choice?

"I'll do it"

They stared at Daveth in shock as he stepped forward.

"Like I said," The human rogue uttered as he peered at the blood within the chalice; "After what we seen today, I want to change from the life I had." His voice calm and resolute. His gaze rose up to meet Duncan's; "Fifty-fifty chance I live or die drinking this." The commander gave a curt nod; "Then in case the worst happens, thank you Duncan. For showing me another path." Daveth's gaze shifted over towards Gin; "Meant what I said before Tabris. This shite kills me, my crossbow and daggers are yours. Oh, take my deck of cards too."

The city elf quickly countered; "How about we stay somewhat positive in case you don't die!"

At that Daveth chortled before turning back to Duncan and took the chalice. He heaved out a sigh; "To your health." He put the chalice to his lips and drank. Everyone grew still as the man finished and paused lowering the chalice.

Relief however was temporary, as a horrified gasp came from both Neria and Brianna. Daveth's veins became black and visible as he began to cough violently, clawing his own throat while his eyes became white. A curse came from the former Templar as he and Duncan kept their sorrowful gazes on the man, "I am sorry Daveth." The commander's voice was somber as they all watched Daveth convulse onto his knees before falling forward, dead.

"Maker," A terrified whisper came from Ser Jory backed away from Daveth's corpse.

Tears rimmed Neria's eyes with her hands over her mouth muffling her scream. Brianna shook in terror just watching the man they were speaking with a moment again die so horribly. Her stomach churned as she whirled around emptying the contents of her stomach hunched over. Gin shuddered as he paled at the sight of the human he had begun to like.

Kneeling down Duncan slowly took the chalice, Alistair refilled it with the Warden Commander shifting his gaze to the remaining recruits; "Who shall step forward?"

Panic claimed the Highever knight as he drew his greatsword. "There is no honor in this! This is madness!" the man was now in hysterics as the other three backed away from him. "I will not take part in such vile acts!"

However Duncan remained calm despite Jory's sword pointed at him. Alistair was tense but remained still before his mentor handed him the chalice; "There is no turning back once you reached the Joining Ser Jory," The Commander spoke with grim finality drawing one of his swords.

However the tall knight did not relent but charged wildly at old Warden, ready to strike him down. Duncan had remained still till Jory's sword was inches from him. He parried the large weapon with ease surprising the knight by the show of strength. This was matched by Duncan's speed and agility charging and stabbing his blade through the weak points of Jory's armor. The knight gasped as blood sprayed from his fatal wound, bleeding out quickly.

"I am sorry Ser Jory." Duncan was composed but mournful in his voice and gaze as he pulled out his blade and the knight fell to the ground gasping for air before growing still.

"You didn't have to kill him!" Brianna shouted at the horror of what she just saw.

Though Duncan's gaze was stern, it was not without understanding and empathy. "Ser Jory left me no choice once he drew his weapon and attacked. Understand, once the Joining ritual has begun there is no going back."

Brianna nearly charged a spell in her hand, her instincts screaming for her to run. But her gaze snapped to Alistair as she remembered he used to be a Templar, she had no idea what his capabilities were, if he could Dispel or even Smite her. He did not look happy with this but he did not question Duncan either, he seemed mournfully accepting of the whole situation.

So these were her choices, attack the experienced fighters and hope for the best, try to make a run out of Ostagar... or give in and drink the physical evil that could very well kill them.

"No choice at all" The human mage said with resignation, her shoulders sagging. "That day at the Tower I... I thought you were saving us"

"I made you no such promise" Duncan replied, "I told you being a Warden required sacrifices"

"This freedom is no freedom at all" Neria spoke solemnly; she couldn't tear her eyes away from Jory and Daveth's bodies. "We were never in control of our lives"

"...No, we were not" Gin spoke; his voice was raspy and emotional. He took a step forward. "We elves know that better than anyone" Though his words were those of defeat, there was a sense of determination to them. "Behind the alienage walls, under the thumb of some shem with money and power, it's always the same. But at least this cause is worth dying for" Daveth's words echoed clearly in his mind. "So be it. I'm not so cowardly that I will run away from my fate"

At least his life would have meant something this way.

Duncan sheathed his blade before taking back the chalice from Alistair. Gin soon stood before the Commander, ready for whatever awaits him. "If I die, can someone send a letter to my family?"

The elderly Warden gave a nod; "I'll take it there myself. I owe your father and the elder that much."

"Thank you." He glanced over to Neria; "It was good to see you again." He did not wait for her reply as he took the chalice and gulped down the tainted blood. Finishing he gave back the chalice and waited. Neria and Brianna came to him just as he eyes became white and he fell to the ground.

Both mages were swift to kneel beside young elven rogue who was now unconscious. Neria cried out joyful tears feeling a pulse and seeing him breathing though unconscious. She leaned forward resting her forehead on Gin's chest; "He is alive." She whispered as her tears fell.

Amell let out a relieved sigh noticing Duncan and Alistair were also grateful to hear that. The Warden Commander soon refilled the Chalice once more. This time Brianna quickly stood before the older man. Neither said a word but Duncan could feel the young woman's anger towards him. "If this kills me," Brianna uttered quietly; "Keep Neria safe. Promise me Duncan."

"Bri!" Neria's head shot upward with renewed tears as her longtime friend shifted her head to her with her own tears.

"You're more than my friend, you're my sister," Brianna's voice cracked with her lower lip quivering. "I love you with all my heart. So stay strong for me if I am not here okay." Before she could lose her nerve she took the Chalice and swallowed down its contents.

The vile blood burned her throat and made its way through her body, almost as though bypassing the stomach and directly spreading throughout every vein. It burnt horribly, so much that she could barely catch her breath as she fell to the ground unconscious.

Neria couldn't have gotten to her side any faster, and sobbed with relief as she found a pulse. "She's alive..." The dark tanned elf said with great relief.

"She and Gin are strong" Duncan complimented the new Wardens as he filled the chalice one last time. "Now, it is your turn, Neria"

The elf watched as Alistair gently carried Brianna away and placed her next to Gin. They look asleep, but it wasn't a peaceful rest, as their faces lightly shifted through discomfort, as though they were having nightmares.

She looked at the cup in the Warden-Commander's hand. It eerily reminded her of her Harrowing, a cup filled with the substance that would determine her fate. And that's how it always went didn't it? Other people deciding for her. Throughout her entire life she could scarcely recall a time in which she had actually made any choice for herself. And the times she could remember were not promising.

She had chosen to help Jowan... and where did that get her?

To live or die, this was the choice now. And even then the outcome could be outside her control.

But Bri had ventured forth and lived; Neria would not let her friend brave through this journey alone. That was all the motivation she needed.

Wordless, she grasped the chalice and brought it to her lips, the foul smell almost made her gag in disgust.

She took in the Blight, swallowing it whole.

She fell unconscious, and the dragon was waiting for her.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Sitting under the moonlight at a broken but hidden tower, away from prying eyes, Miara breathed out a long sigh. At her side Serana took a few calming breaths after her elven explained what occurred in the Wilds. They could not have found a place to talk fast enough as the Nordic vampire was about to scream, demanding to know what happened. Miara has told her everything and showed her the hand which the tainted arrow had struck.

Serana had surveyed every detail of her lover's hand. The relief that washed over her upon hearing that taint left her body and did not harm Miara was immense. But at the same time her alchemist mind was running over the reasons on how Miara was immune to the Taint. And it always came back to one thing.

"It's because you're Ada isn't it?" Her lover's tone being a quiet whisper.

Miara nodded; "The only conclusion that makes any sense of it."

Discovering she was Dragonborn was jarring enough when she first came to Skyrim over thirty years ago. But it was just the tip of the iceberg that went with her 'unique heritage', making her more than a simple Dunmer woman.

"The divine blood and soul are powerful counter to corrupting forces" It reminded Serana of Molag Bal's experiments to create his own kind of dragons, but failed in recreating a dragon soul in the form of a daedric vestige. His powers of ruination and corruption were simply incompatible with orderly properties of an anuic entity. "I believe it stands to reason dragons would also be immune"

"That's what I'm hoping" True, Miara knew such forces could leave their mark on the immortal entities. Durnehviir's flesh had been rendered rotting as though he was an undead creature, and had bound him to the Soul Cairn thanks to the machinations of the Ideal Masters. But the flesh was simply a vessel for the dragon soul that had remained intact. "But... I'm not so sure about the thedosian dragons"

Serana frowned, "You've met one of them here, right?"

"I have" The elf couldn't keep the unease from her voice. "You should have seen it, Serana. That creature was not a divine being, its soul was a candle light compared to the brilliant inferno of the dragon soul. It did not know how to shout, and only traces remained for it to unleash raw power, nothing of the intricacies of the Thu'um. It lacked a sapient mind, intelligence; it was only guided by instinct"

She paused.

"It was an animal. A pale imitation. When I first saw it I felt disgust, and hate"

Within her, her Dovah soul still snarled with fury at the thought of that creature. But the elf kept that side of her calmed; "I wanted nothing more than to tear it pieces for being such a mockery... Till I saw she had eggs."

"I imagine Odahviing gave you an earful for letting her go with her eggs." A snort and roll of the eyes from her elven lover was the answer. "Where is that stubborn oaf anyways?"

"Likely doing his own investigating around Ferelden." Miara shrugged before giving a pointed glance to Serana; "And he knows better than coming to an area dense with people. The soldiers here might mistake him for the ArchDemon and attack him."

"I know, I know," The Vampire lowly grumbled with a huff; "Just be nice having an extra hand." she quipped dryly.

While Odahviing's help would be a huge benefit for them, it was just too dangerous. So for this battle it would rely on their skills and experience to see them through. Like they had many times before.

As Miara and Serana returned to the Warden's camp, they noticed Sofie had returned sitting beside Gin, Neria, and Brianna. Marcus had also just returned with Loke as he and the ladies noticed two others were absent, they turned to see Duncan who stood over by the bonfire with Alistair. "Where are Daveth and Ser Jory?" Miara questioned.

"They have been sent to another front to reinforce the rest of our Warden Brethren" Duncan explained, the light of the bonfire reflecting over the silvery parts of his armor. "Worry not for them"

It was not hard to miss the tightening of Gin's fist, the look of anger on Brianna's face and the deep sadness in Neria's. None of those gestures were so subtle that Miara and her family couldn't notice them. They didn't know what that was about, but it was clear something had happened. But questions would have to wait after the battle was over.

"Now" The Warden-Commander's voice became serious, getting down to business. "I have discussed the battle plans with King Cailan and the rest of the war table. The bulk of the army will confront the Darkspawn in the gorge"

Miara's military mind from her time commanding the Imperial Legion wanted to point out it would be best to hold on a sturdy defensive line in a phalanx formation, but soon realized Ferelden forces lacked the tower shields to make that possible. Besides, she had not been part of the battle plans, it wasn't her place.

"Then, Teyrn Loghain will march with his forces to flank the Darkspawn. For that we will need a signal" He pointed at the great tower at the other side of the fortress. "The Tower of Ishal holds a beacon that we shall lit to inform Loghain's forces to advance. For that, King Cailan has requested a few of my Wardens to be sent there to assure it's done" The bearded man looked at his subordinates, "I shall be sending you three and Alistair"

"What?" Alistair exclaimed in outrage, "I won't be participating in the battle?"

"I am entrusting you with this mission, Alistair" Duncan spoke sternly, "It is vital for our strategy"

"I..." The former Templar sighed, "Yeah, you're right, sorry. We'll see it done" His companions nodded alongside him.

"If you would allow me, Duncan" Marcus stepped forward, "I'd like to accompany them, I can help them oversee when the time to light the signal is ideal"

The commander pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement, finding merit to his words. "Of course"

"I'd like to join them as well" Sofie soon spoke up as well, much to their surprise, "No reason really, just feel they could use a bit of help" Her instinct told her such, and she never doubted it.

Duncan rubbed his beard in thought; "I see no harm in it, unless your mothers disagree with it otherwise." He glanced over to Miara and Serana.

The Nordic vampire snorted out a laugh; "Our daughter is thirty seven years old and more than capable of defending herself."

"And we would worry regardless anyways because we are her mothers. But we trust our Sofie's judgement." Miara stated with a smile.

Sofie only beamed at the praise before Duncan gave an approving nod. "With that out of the way would you Lady Miara and Serana accompany me beside in the gorge?"

"Of course," The Dunmer stated patting Dawnbreaker; "my blade will be the most use there."

"Then we are set. We have less than an hour to prepare, so everyone get ready." Duncan spoke with a steely authority that reminded Miara of a general.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Storm clouds were gathering, already thunder echoed through the sky as lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the gorge below where the Ferelden army stood in waiting. Front rows of soldiers accompanied by faithful mabari hounds stood ready to be the first lines that would meet the Darkspawn horde. As was the case with such soldiers in that position, morale was mixed, some stood resolute and firm, others trembled at the thought of fighting those monsters.

A chantry priestess walked through the battle lines, gently waving an incense burner while muttering prayers, bringing some comforts to the soldiers that looked to their faith for protection.

Above in the bridge, regiments of archers stood ready for the signal to be given. Water would not be the only thing that would rain down upon the Darkspawn, but fire coated steel.

As far as preparations went, Miara acknowledged the Ferelden army stood a decent chance at fighting the Darkspawn. The key would be Loghain's forces that were waiting in hiding to flank the horde. She partially entertained the thought of clearing the sky, or infuse the soldiers's spirits with courage, but quickly thought against it. It would just make the soldiers panic all the more at the display of such magic. The Thu'um could be a game changer, so long as your allies knew what you were doing.

She and Serana followed Duncan through the battlements, who followed Cailan in turn. "The plan will work your majesty" He assured the king.

"Of course it will" He said with far too much confidence for Miara's liking, "The Blight ends here"

Miara's eyes glanced to her lover who bore the same dry expression she had. Both sincerely hoped this battle could temper the young king into the proper royal he could truly be for his nation and people. Rain soon poured down from the heavens as the Dragonborn could feel Dawnbreaker heating the side of her hip.

In the dense foliage of the forest, countless torches could be seen progressing towards the gorge. "Here they come," Serana murmured with disgust as hundreds of Darkspawn came into their view. Genlocks, Hurlocks, Shrieks; all of the varying types and still as grotesque as before.

Miara leaned forward to Duncan and the king; "Take it those are Ogres?"

Her question came at the sight of near giant hulking muscular creatures that towered over all the other Spawn. Some have dark purple skin while others were pale with black spots. Some had patchwork of armor pieces while others had none, and finally all were adorned with large horns on their heads.

"Yes, do not face one of them alone. They have been known to tear people apart with ease." The Warden Commander commented with a stern frown.

"And that one Duncan?" Cailan garnered everyone's attention towards one the biggest Hurlocks that Duncan had ever seen.

To Miara, it rivaled the height of an Altmer, but with the build of a Nordic warrior, wearing full dull golden plate armor and horned helmet. In its hand was a massive jagged battle-axe it held in one hand with ease. The beast soon stood at the head of it kin.

The old Warden narrowed his gaze; "And Alpha, a very powerful one by the looks of it."

It stood at the head of the horde, no doubt leading them. They could hear the bloodthirsty growls and roars of the Darkspawn even from their position. Battle cries that sang for destruction and death, the monsters were eager to tear apart every single non Tainted creature in sight. They sought naught else but to spread their darkness and consume them all.

Miara could sincerely say this horde was a force of evil incarnate.

Such was their presence that many a soldier felt their confidence wavering, no doubt there were many who felt like running. Even the king's stalwart gaze fell as he witnessed the sheer size of the Spawns.

On the battle lines, Carver drew in a sharp breath, his grip on his blade tightening, his hands were sweaty. He turned violently when he felt a hand upon his shoulder, and saw Aveline giving him a comforting gaze and a nod, assuring him she would be right there at his side. The young Hawke took a deep breath and nodded back in gratitude.

Serana's eyes narrowed, "its beginning" Her keen gaze allowed her to see the great alpha directing the horde forward with a swift movement of its hand.

The monsters roared and charged, hundreds of footsteps making the ground shake underneath them.

Cailan was swift to give the order, "Archers!"

At his command, a rain of fire metal fell down upon the blighters, striking down many and softening their ranks. Though many continued forth.

"Hounds!"

Dozens upon dozens of large mabari charged and struck down the Darkspawn, disarraying their advance even at the cost of some of their lives.

The first two orders were given, now they needed to seize the opening.

Cailan took out his father's sword and valiantly lead his troops. "For Ferelden!"

The soldiers let out a war cry as they rallied to their king.

The Ferelden army met the Darkspawn horde head on and the battle was joined.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Up at the bridge, Marcus and the others watched on as archers and catapults unleashed their fury from the bridge down towards the spawn. "There are so many of them." Neria shuddered beside Brianna and Gin at they observed the battle below.

"We have to reach the tower of Ishal on the other side of the bridge!" Alistair yelled through the deafening roaring below.

Sofie kept her gaze on her two mothers which thankfully was easy with Miara using Dawnbreaker. At her side Serana, Duncan, and the king tore through any blighter that came for them. "Let's not waste time!" She roared as their group quickly made their way on the bridge. This proved just as dangerous as from the gorge below arrows and fireballs were being fired up at them and the archers.

Out of instinct Neria waved her stave in time placing up a barrier spell. Just minutes before a large fireball would have collided at them and soldiers on the bridge. "Relentless bastards aren't they!" Gin roared as he and other dashed to the other side of the bridge.

Loke barked in agreement before a lone guard ran towards them; "Lord Cousland!" the man hollered in a near panic before stopping out of breath.

"Report!"

"Darkspawn! The damn blighters made it into the tower!"

"What?!" Alistair, Gin, and Brianna all yelled back. "How?" The former Templar spoke again in a steely tone.

The soldier shook his head; "No idea Warden! But they bursted through the tower door and started attacking everyone!"

Sofie soon raised her voice; "Then we send them to void and secure the tower!"

"If the Darkspawn take the tower than the plan is ruined!" Marcus shouted; Loghain's forces depended on the beacon to know when they were to strike. If they didn't attack in time, then it would be too late to support the army and the king. "Let's move!"

They marched as fast as they could, the lone surviving soldier accompanying them; already in the battlements before the tower they saw multiple Darkspawn beginning to swarm the area. They were quick to notice the Wardens and their allies approaching, and howled as they charged wildly to attack.

"Neria, Brianna, clear a path!" The Cousland commanded.

The mages were quick to act; it was especially noteworthy from the Surana's part, a far cry from her own hesitation and fear in the swamp. Now the stakes were on a whole other level. They casted fire and lightning, striking the Darkspawn and thinning their numbers. They left a wide opening for the warriors to charge in unimpeded, blades struck with speed and strength while Gin supported them with precise crossbow bolts.

The soldier that had joined them put on a brave fight, but it was short lived as a shriek appeared out of thin air behind him and slit his throat with bladed arm guards.

Its victory was short lived as Sofie's greatsword cut the blighter in half. The Nordic woman glanced down to Ferelden soldier who had just died for his homeland. A snarl came from her throat at the sight of more Darkspawn charged for her group. With a roar she gave her own charge and ran her greatsword through several Hurlock. Kicking them off she spun with immense speed cutting off their heads.

Close by Marcus with his faithful hound fought through any blighted beast that came for them. Swords, teeth, and claws ripped through both Genlocks and Hurlocks before the noble sidestepped an arrow from a Darkspawn archer. The young noble dashed for the blighter, deflecting or dodging several arrows before slamming his boot into the Hurlock's chest. It was left with no time to recover as Loke's jaws tore into its throat.

Gin kept to Neria and Brianna's side as he used Daveth's crossbow with sharp accuracy. The two mages of the group kept their attacks fierce while protecting their comrades. Steadily they made their way towards the tower entrance.

The last of the Darkspawn fell as Alistair slashed its throats. He signaled the others to follow him towards the great doors that lead to the tower's interior.

"How did the Darkspawn get here without the Wardens feeling them coming?" Sofie asked, sending a questioning look to the Wardens.

"Don't look at me" Brianna raised her palms, "I still can't feel them somehow"

"That takes time" Alistair informed them, before casting a wary gaze at the direction of the battle. "Bloody bastards. They must be using the sheer numbers of the Horde to mask their approach. That huge amount of Taint all gathered in one place is numbing our ability to sense it. No wonder they sneaked up without us knowing"

"I doubt even you Wardens can feel from very far away anyhow" Marcus commented, "Don't be too hard on yourself, what matters now is that we must reach the top of the tower as soon as possible"

"If we are too late?" Neria asked, frightened. She couldn't stop thinking that Wynne was down there, fighting the horde.

"Then the Darkspawn will have killed too many of our soldiers for the strategy to work, the flanking by the rest of our forces will be not be enough"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Holy fire engulfed a Genlock as it shrieked and flailed wildly. Other Darkspawn soon joined it in the void with Miara slashing any tainted beast with Dawnbreaker and Dragonbane with savage barbarism. Close by Duncan and Serana were facing off against their share of blighted beasts with Cailan showing impressive talent with his father's sword against several Hurlock that charged at him.

Despite the young king's odd enthusiasm he was proving to display skills of a well-trained warrior. His senses sharp and no wasted movement upon cutting down enemies. The young king slammed his armored fist into a Genlock after parrying its battle axe. The punch disoriented the beast long enough for Cailan to slice it in half with pure brute strength.

With her father's katana in one hand and magic in the other, Serana was relentless tearing through the beasts or impaling them with shards of ice. The Commander of the Grey was proving to be a very skilled warrior killing through Darkspawn with great skill.

Miara crossed her blades together, holding them up to stop the falling greatsword from an armored hurlock. Locked in place, the dunmer swiftly danced around the Darkspawn, her katana changing to a reverse grip as she slashed the beast in an arc. Dawnbreaker followed suit, cutting nearly through the same place as Dragonbane, setting the beast ablaze.

"Maker! You need to get me a sword like that!" Cailan laughed, eying the holy weapon with admiration, as though his own blade did have magical runes running down its length.

"Can't, a god gave it to me"

"Hah! Good one"

Serana conjured tendrils of pure shadow underneath three incoming Darkspawn, which soon morphed into spiky chains that held them in place. They struggled but to no avail. The vampire swiftly fired a barrage of ice spikes that swiftly disposed of the monsters. She looked at the corpses of the multiple darkspawn around her, a brow raised elegantly.

"Quick question" She asked the king who was currently dispatching a genlock rogue. "Is necromancy illegal here?"

"Not exactly!" He replied, running the creature down with his sword. "So long as it's not the blood magic variety the Circles are lenient! But even then it's a complex matter, different stances from Circle to Circle" In Orlais? The mere idea of entertaining that magic was absurd. On Nevarra? Oh they couldn't get enough of that. "In fact, I think the Ferelden Circle teaches a few of those spells... Why?" It suddenly occurred to him the sudden question was rather ill timed for the battlefield.

The tall woman smiled. It was a chilling gesture.

"Oh I just wanted to avoid a lynching"

She raised her arms and darkness spread from underneath her robes. It was like smog or smoke, but very much unnatural. It reached to dozens of Darkspawn corpses around her, the flesh eating by the shadows, picked clean until there was nothing but bones.

Empty eye sockets shone with pale blue light, and the skeletal remains of the fallen Darkspawn rose. Clinging to their weapons and looking as ferocious and blood hungry as they did when alive.

Cailan did note rather morbidly that they looked less ugly without their flesh.

Serana swat her arm through the air with a wordless command, and the skeletons silently began to attack any Darkspawn in their proximity.

Cailan blinked a few times as he witnessed the skeletal beasts overwhelmed any Darkspawn that came close. After leaving brutally mutilated corpses they went after more. The king peered wide eyed at the Nordic woman; "Well, I have no complaints." Several more Darkspawn bones came to life from Serana's magic and fought for her.

Sheathing her katana, Miara fired a bolt of lightning from her palm. A foul charred smell rose as least a dozen of the blighted beast were struck together in rapid succession. "Remarkable skill lady Redoran," Duncan complimented as he severed the head of a shriek.

"Same to you!"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

When Marcus and the group entered the tower they found a macabre sight of dead soldiers and mabari. Blood splattered the walls and coated the floor along with severed limbs. A horrid spectacle of the display of Darkspawn brutality. Neria and Brianna both held back the bile in their throats while a whimper came from Loke who sniffed at the dead mabari.

"Bastards will pay for this," Sofie seethed as she and the other began their trek through the tower. Quickly they found an enormous sinkhole that connected to a large cave, likely where the blighters came from. It was not long before they came into clash against the said beasts that roared and charged at them.

Brianna slammed her stave onto the ground, casting a shockwave of telekinetic energy that hurled all the Darkspawn back. Neria swiftly assisted her friend and added in her own dose of telekinetic spell work, forming a bubble construct of mana that pulled the monsters towards it, right over the hole in the ground.

The Darkspawn were dragged kicking and screaming through the whole, Gin took out a flask from his belt and threw it over the hole, taking satisfaction in seeing a glow coming from inside the tunnel, along with the sounds of hungry flames and the wails of Darkspawn being set ablaze.

The mages once more joined their efforts and closed down the hole, molding the earth for it to be covered up once more.

"Nice work with the fire grenade" Brianna complimented the city elf.

Gin brushed a lock behind his ear as he shrugged. "Gotta do what I can to stay relevant. Not much I can offer with you two around. With the way you can easily kill Darkspawn, no wonder people fear magic so much"

The human mage gave him a deadpanning look while Neria tried not to let his words affect her too much.

Sofie let out a silent hiss, she didn't know if it was intentional or not, but it clearly had touched a sore spot.

"Let's keep going" Marcus spoke up as he signaled the group to move forward

Going up a flight of stone step they turned a corner to a large round room with ornate pillars, it looked like the Darkspawn had had enough time to set up the room to their liking, adorning it with barbaric totems and spikes upon which the heads of their victims were impaled. They feasted and gorged down on the limbs of their victims.

Taking advantage of their distracted state, Sofie charged forward without waiting for the others, sword in hand. Before their widening eyes, fire came out from her back and morphed into wings, her skin looking as though it had scales on it. She leapt high into the air, aiming for the middle of the room.

Fire engulfed her free fist as she roared coming into the middle of the blighted beasts and slammed her burning fist to the ground. A shockwave of flames burned and sent a dozen or so Darkspawn flying. The cement ground crack by the force of the Nordic woman's punch before she whipped around and faced at charging Darkspawn, taking a long deep breathe.

" **Yol Toor Shul**!" Out of Sofie's mouth came out a stream of pure fire that quickly engulfed the tainted monsters as they cried out in pure agony. It looked much like dragon fire to Marcus and Alistair.

"BY THE MAKER!" Alistair exclaimed in awe and fright.

Neria and Brianna paused as they both felt the immense magical power that came from the older woman. The purest primal force of magic they had ever felt in their lives!

"What was that?!" Alistair exclaimed astonished, "That was unlike any magic I've ever seen..."

"I'd say!" Brianna quickly followed up, walking towards the tall woman. "First of all, what possessed you to use magic in such a brutish way? Second; what was that chant you did? To call it magic would be the same as a calling a frog a dragon"

"Fitting analogy actually" The nord replied in amusement. Now that she was up closer the human mage saw the wings weren't completely physical looking, they flickered a bit like fire. "Back in Tamriel there is this form of battle magics from the school of the Dragonknights. They wield spells inspired by the dragons" That was only half-truth, no need to go into the details of the Thu'um right now. That opened another whole can of worms.

As Brianna pondered on the possibilities of such a way of casting magic, the blue eyed mage looked at her arms, where she saw lines across her skin of what appeared to be light hints of scale on it. "Is this a skin hardening spell?" She asked, placing a hand on Sofie's muscular limb.

"Yeah, adds strength to my body"

"To think there was such a martial application to magic" Brianna muttered, "Not even the Knight Enchanters use their bodies like that; they rely on powerful barriers and their spirit blades"

"Spellswords and battlemages need both brawn and magic" The nord replied as she let the spells fade. The wings disappearing into motes of fiery light and the skin on her arms returning to normal.

Brianna blinked as she squeezed Sofie's arm, "Oh wow I thought it was due to the spell, but you're actually solid like that aren't you? Hey Neria come feel this, they're like rocks!"

"No" The elven mage replied firmly, fighting the heat rushing to her cheeks. "Can we focus on the task at hand? Also, Bri stop feeling her up while we're in the middle of a war, have some decency..."

Gin leaned over to Marcus; "Let's never get on Sofie's bad side." The noble absently agreed before resuming their run up the tower. Only more dead soldiers and mabari greeted them along with more Darkspawn for each floor. Loke tore into several genlocks with Neria's magic aiding the huge hound.

Tabris switched between his crossbow and daggers when some of the blighted got too close. His speed and agility made him a hard target for a large Hurlock for which he took out with a blade to the side of the throat.

"It's like the damn Wilds," Marcus groaned as he slashed through a quadruped Genlock's neck. Indeed, much like the wild the tower was overrun with so many damn Darkspawn. Yet it did not deter the group from their mission as they slew their way upwards.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

A bead of sweat dripped from Miara's face as she beheaded a black armored Hurlock. This battle was soon becoming taxing as the Darkspawn kept throwing their forces against the Ferelden troops. Absently she glanced up to the tower seeing no beacon lit. What was taking so long? Worry knotted in her stomach but she kept fighting, near her Duncan and Serana with the king brought down a large Alpha Genlock. Much like her, their breathe was quickening as their exhaustion was building.

The Dragonborn sharply turned at the hearing a roar. A few feet away stood the giant Hurlock that was leading these monsters. Its red eyes glared with hunger and rage as the elf gave a predatory grin; "Let's see what you got before I send you to the void!"

She sprinted towards the great Tainted creature, bringing her two blades to bear. She side stepped and spun on her foot, delivering her two blades on an arching slash. But the Alpha Darkspawn was faster than she expected, bringing down the shaft of its battleaxe to block the attack and then swat them away. Miara was forced back, her balance broken as her arms flailed, she planted her feet down and regained her stance, but by then the beast was attacking. It brought the axe in an upwards slash, to which the dunmer in disguise dodged, before bringing it down with fierce strength once it was in the air.

The ground around it cracked, Miara had jumped back to avoid the blow. She clicked her tongue in annoyance, for this Darkspawn was showing itself to be very formidable physically. She tried overcoming him with speed instead, but the creature managed to parry and block her strikes with either its great axe or its armored gauntlets.

But all she needed was to find one opening in that thick armor, and Dawnbreaker would make short work of-

The Darkspawn grabbed her wrist in a surprising display of dexterity, keeping her in place. She barely had time to react when the monster brought down its axe on her.

Acting fast, Miara casted a ward with her other hand, letting Dawnbreaker fall from her fingers. The axe collided with the ward, causing it to ripple and shimmer. She grit her teeth as she struggled to both keep the ward up and free her hand, but the beast was not making it easy to do both tasks at once. The sheer strength behind the blow was enough to put a heavy strain on her shield that it was beginning to crack like glass.

With no other choice, Miara let her katana fall and channeled arcs of lightning through her now free palm. Even with her wrist still held in place she could twist it just enough to aim at the Darkspawn's chest. Lightning struck, sending currents of electricity towards its entire body, as a byproduct it also zapped at Miara's own form, but with her resistance it was a small price to pay.

Yet the Darkspawn did not relent, it merely ignored the energy that was burning its skin and flesh through its own armor. The damage did not even look that severe. Miara stared with horrified realization that the great Alpha before her had strong resistance to magic. Either because of its armor or because it was bred that way, she did not know.

What she did know was that her ward would crumble any second now.

Her options were thin, and as much as she knew this would draw unwanted attention. There was simply no other choice, " **Fus Ro Dah**!" As the giant alpha reared back with it axe she dropped the ward unleashing the full might of her Thu'um. It was no match as it released her wrist and sent airborne like a Yokudan cannonball from one of their warships.

The elf fell to her knees with an exhausted huff with Duncan and Serana quickly to her side. "By Andraste what did you do?" The Commander of the Grey had seen and felt the sheer power the elven woman unleashed by those thunderous words. He had never seen such a thing!

Miara took several breathes while grabbing her swords and being helped up by Serana; "I'll explain later. Where did that bastard land to?"

"No idea," Serana gazed out to the battlefield; "You alright?" Concerned edged in her voice seeing her elven lover look at her wrist.

At first Miara did not answer, she simply surveyed the battle around them. "We've remained in this position too long. We're being overrun." Her eyes sharply turned to Duncan who gazed upward at the tower of Ishal. "Something happened."

Or more specifically, something had NOT happened.

The beacon went unlit, far beyond its appointed time.

Meanwhile the Darkspawn continued to press on against the Ferelden army, and the rest of their forces failed to flank the horde when the opportunity was right.

All around them the bodies of brave Ferelden men and women kept piling up, and yet the Spawn seemed endless.

They had missed their window, Miara realized with horror. She had seen this situation enough times, talked about it with other generals and strategists, with soldiers who had been fortunate enough to have survived.

The battle line had been broken; the Darkspawn forces were overrunning them. Any attempt at enclosing the Darkspawn and flanking them would be suicide.

In short...

"Duncan" The elf said gravely, the words were bitter in her mouth. "The battle is lost"

If not for their keener sense of hearing, they would have missed the sharp intake of air coming from the silver armored man. His eyes continued to gaze upon at the tower, as though by some miracle the beacon could be lit, that aid would arrive at the last moment and the tide could be turned.

But Duncan too had lived long enough to understand the grave reality of a situation when the facts were laid before them. And so the Grey Warden, tasked with ending the Blight, could only let out a mournful sigh...

"So it is"

...and accept defeat.

But not without holding on to a sliver of hope as he turned to the two women; "I must ask you both a favor. Please go to the tower and get Alistair and the others out of here."

"But you and the king," Serana countered as she glanced seeing the young noble valiantly still fighting. "We can't just-"

Duncan interrupted; "I will ensure the king is saved. But you must get the others out of the tower. Only a Grey Warden can stop the Blight." There was a plea in his words both could hear.

Silent for a moment Miara gave a nod; "We will get to them." She paused before sighing; "If the worst happens, it was an honor Duncan."

"The honor was mine, now go!" Without another word the ladies soon raced out of the gorge, slaying any blighter in their path along the way.

Movement stirred from pile of broken trees and smashed Darkspawn on the ground as the Giant Alpha rose to stand. It breathed heavily as its gaze found the elf that sent it flying. A low growl of rage came from under its helmet before grabbing its axe.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Marcus and company caught their breathing as they stood at the door to the very top of the tower. Damn these tainted bastards for flooding the place so quickly. Each floor was a test of endurance as they battled through every blighted beast they came across.

Neria and Brianna leaned against each other with their backs to a wall. Gin cleaned his silverite bolts beside Alistair who steadied himself for whatever was behind that door. Loke lolled his tongue out of his mouth while patting at his master's side. Close by Sofie whipped the sweat off her face with a huff.

"Tenacious bastards aren't they." The Nordic woman bemoaned to the rest. "Almost remind me of Falmer."

"Falmer?" Neria asked with raised brow.

"Tell you later."

Rolling his neck, Marcus turned his gaze to everyone; "Ready to finish this?"

"As if you need to ask" Alistair replied confidently, rolling his shoulders. The movement making his chainmail clink in turn. "We need to light the signal; Duncan and the others are waiting for it"

Neria casted a regeneration spells, invigorating their bodies with renewed stamina, before casting a barrier on their forms as well. Marcus gave her a nod in both a gratitude and approval. Brianna finished drinking a lyrium potion, refilling her rather spent reserves. Gin flickered his blades with a deft movement of his hands, showing he would not let exhaustion get to him.

Sofie wasted no time and kicked the door off its hinges.

They charged forward with strong battle cries, ready to face whatever laid inside. They expected a large number of Darkspawn, but what they found was a singular monstrous one.

It was tall; the nord placed it at the same height as a Dwemer Centurion. With massive rippling flesh and a stench as foul as a necromancer's den. Upon its head were two enormous horns. It sat there with its back turned to them, and when it turned they saw a gruesome face feasting on the flesh that still stuck to a bone.

"So uh" Alistair stammered, "Here's a Warden Lesson for you newbies; that's an ogre"

Sofie saw the challenge before them and grinned, "Now that's a face even a mother wouldn't love"

The ogre finished picking the bone clean and threw it away like trash. It rumbled, a deep rattling sound coming from the chest, as it stood up. Making the others crane their heads up.

"...Holy shit" Neria, who usually avoided using profanity, swore.

The ogre roared, sending spit flying, and Sofie roared back. She charged at the beast, greatsword in hand. The ogre reared its fist and struck, missing as the nord woman dodged and swung her blade, slashing into the beast's chest. Yet the damage was superficial to the ogre, its massive and thick musculature being all the armor it needed.

Alistair and Marcus soon charge for the beast with Loke close beside them. Neria soon sent lightning attacks from her stave with Brianna. Gin kept close firing several Silverite bolts at the beast which bounced off its strong hide.

Sofie kept swift on her feet dodging swipes from the ogre's massive hands. It was remarkable fast for such huge monster. She was quick with her strikes of her swords giving the beast only minor scratches annoying it. The annoyances soon grew for the blighter with Alistair and Marcus continued striking at it,

"What" The human mage grunted with each spell, "does it take" Flesh was burned and seared, yet the thing wouldn't even flinch. It just kept swatting its arms at the warriors, "for you to die?!"

She channeled a powerful lightning bolt straight at the beast's head. It flinched as though struck, streams of electricity running through its horns.

Then it turned to the mage with fury written all over its face.

Brianna realized she had made a mistake.

The ogre crouched, with one hand to the floor and rasping a foot against the floor. It looked very much like a bull with that action.

Alistair quickly ran up towards her, "Watch out!" Bringing his shield to bear and standing in front of her, hoping the barrier on him would suffice.

The beast charged, its mighty footsteps echoing through the chamber. Its hard head colliding with Alistair's shield. The barrier around the Warden flickered and broke like glass, he was sent flying back, colliding with Brianna and taking her with him as they rolled over the floor for a few paces before stopping, their entire bodies aching with pain.

The ogre stomped towards them, but was stopped when to sharp fangs buried themselves on one of its large fingers. The mabari had leapt to its right hand and bit deeply, shaking his body and pulling with all his strength. The ogre roared in anger and shocked the mabari, but the fury soon became pain as the hound took the beast's thumb with him.

The ogre glared at the hound, raising both fists to smash the creature, only for a silverite bolt to bury itself into its eye. It wailed; flailing around widely as Gin smirked. Marcus took advantage of its state and moved towards its now blind side, slashing at the knees before piercing the kneecap bone with a strong thrust from his family sword.

The beast fell to one wounded knee, using a hand to support itself. Before it could move back up, Sofie leap at the creature's back, shrouded in fire and her skin lined with scale like markings. She cried out valiantly as her sword pierced the back and came out from the ogre's chest.

Yet it still would not die, it roared and trashed. So Sofie let go of her blade, letting it remain inside the creature, and moved towards its head. She reached and grabbed the neck with one arm while with the other she grasped a horn.

The nord woman let out a groan that kept building with intensity until it became a shout. She pulled, pulled and pulled with all her strength. The muscles on her forearms and biceps visibly bulging, veins throbbing with the sheer effort the daughter of the dragon was putting.

The snarling ogre's head began tilting, more and more until-

 _ **CRACK**_

-the neck bent at an unnatural angle, accompanied by the loud sound of bones snapping.

The beast fell silent and stopped moving, its body limply laying on the ground.

Sofie let go of the monster, panting and sweating heavily. She sat down on the floor to regain her strength before she could attempt to retrieve her sword, which was still lodged on the ogre.

The tall woman looked around, finding the various gazes of her party. This ranged from curious to outright shocked.

"What?"

"Um nothing" Alistair said, him and Brianna supporting each other as Neria quickly casted a healing spell on them, "just a bit taken aback by the fact that, you know, you just snapped an ogre's neck with your bare hands"

Gin tiredly went to retrieve his bolts, exhaustion raged throughout his body as he rubbed the sweat away. "Well that was an experience." He uttered petting Loke's head as the huge mastiff came beside him.

However not wasting time Marcus dashed for the large collection of wood near the window. Grabbing a lit torch he threw it into the wood which soon set it ablaze.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Well hidden in the forest area around Ostagar, Loghain and his forces remained in position. But they had been waiting for far too long, nearly an hour if Cauthrien was to gauge. She casted short gazes at her commander from time to time, but his stony expression remained the same every time.

Finally, they saw light coming from the tower, and the lieutenant felt she could breathe again. Now all they needed to do was for the general to give the order.

"Sound… the retreat"

Yet his order was far from the one she expected.

Cauthrien turned to face him, shock evident on her face. "But the king, the soldiers…!" At the very least, they needed to save the king.

"The call came too late, the flanking won't work" Loghain replied harshly, "Do as I command!" He nearly seethed, grasping her forearm to emphasize his order.

Cauthrien looked at her mentor for a moment before shaking her hand free. She knew Loghain, and if he said the strategy would only result in more deaths then…

The warrior woman had long since pledged to always follow his command, for she trusted in Loghain.

She turned to face the rest of their forces and signaled them to move out. The soldiers, professionals all, obeyed without question, and marched away from the battlefield.

Loghain remained there for a short moment, fighting down any sense of regret. It was done now, and it was for the good of Ferelden.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

In the gorge Duncan and the king kept on the battle while exhaustion wrecked their bodies. All around them the Ferelden troops and other Wardens battle just as fiercely but were falling fast against the overwhelming numbers of the Darkspawn. Cailan huffed as he slashed through a Hurlock before fear gleamed in his eyes as an ogre charged for him.

Duncan tried to attack the huge beast but was swatted away harshly. Cailan could not react in time as the giant monster grabbed him bringing him up to its face. It roared as Duncan witness the young king being crushed to death before being tossed aside.

Cailan, the king who had bravely fought for his nation, died in the battlefield. Far from the glory he sought to acclaim.

The Warden Commander lacked the strength to fully stand up, all he could do was lay there on his knees as he witnessed the carnage going all around him. His armor never felt heavier.

Then, a tall figure came before him, the Alpha that Miara had fought. It looked down on him as though the Warden was nothing more than a pest.

The Warden knew this was it, but he placed his faith on Alistair and the others. Ferelden could still be saved, the Blight would be beaten back.

Duncan met its gaze unflinchingly, he stared death in the face unafraid even as the axe fell down on him.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

They run as fast as their legs could take them, Miara and Serana did not stop for anything as they raced towards the top of the tower, desperate to reach the others and take them far away from the danger of the battlefield.

But what they found made their hearts stop for a second.

Gin and Neria were both on the ground, arrows buried in their bodies. They saw Brianna fall down with a cry as blade cut through her robes and into the left side of her body. Alistair tried fighting away multiple Darkspawn at once, but failed to see a genlock aiming a crossbow at him, he fell to the ground as he was struck in the back.

Only Sofie, Marcus and Loke remained standing, battling the monsters with all they had.

"Mom!" Sofie shouted at them with desperation, "Help them!"

Fury overcame them, and the Darkspawn were cut down in a storm of magic and blades, none were left alive.

Miara rushed to Gin and Neria's side, and felt partial relief at finding the arrows were not lodged into vital places. Still, if they were not treated soon they'd die of bloodless.

"Brianna's wound is not lethal, but she needs treatment!" Marcus shouted.

"So does Alistair!" Called their daughter.

The battlefield below continued to be overrun; there was no way they could get out here in time.

And when all seemed lost, the flap of wings and a draconian roar were heard. For a moment, Miara dared to hope it was Odahviing, but found a great thedosian dragon bursting through the already broken down wall. Great in size, dark red scales, with four particular curved horns on its heads.

The Dragonborn felt her essence and immediately knew who this was.

"Maker!" Marcus shouted, grabbing his blade and frightfully looking at the beast, "The Archdemon?"

"No" Miara announced, eyes narrowed in mistrust, "Morrigan's mother"

Then, the dragon spoke, much to the Cousland's shock.

"If you seek to live" The voice was grave, deep, but distinctively feminine, all too similar to the old woman. "Then I suggest you accompany me"

Miara and Serana exchanged a look, knowing they could call Odahviing but he would not get here in time. The Darkspawn kept advancing, and their companions needed medical aid.

As much as she hated it, Miara placed their lives on the claws of the dragon she did not trust.

"Fine"

They let the dragon grab the four unconscious Wardens in both claws, while Serana held Marcus tightly, holding unto the forelimbs, with Miara herself doing the same with Loke. Sofie grabbed unto one of the hind legs, looking back to see there wouldn't be more Darkspawn coming for them.

The dragon took flight, and so they escaped as Ostagar grew ever more distant, yet the knowledge of their failure grew all the heavier in their conscience.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

 _ **Till next time!**_


	13. Aftermath

_**Disclaimer:**_ We do not own the Dragon Age or The Elder Scrolls series

 _ **Co-Author and Beta**_ : Etheral-23

 **Aftermath**

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Bones…

Bones upon bones, likely too numerous for anyone to count them all. Rested out openly upon the vast barren and cold mountainside near old ruins. This was the sight greeted to Odahviing as he gazed down from a large cliff overlooking it all. His sapphire orbs surveyed every detail before him. "Hi dreh ni orin dir med vahzah dov. (You cannot even die like true dragons.)" He sneered out in pure disgust.

Wasn't enough that the joore (mortals) of these lands had dared calling these wretched witless sunvaar as dovah…

The mere idea of it made the ruby dragon's fiery blood boil. However, there was a more pressing matter that was vexing him. "Kolos los fin vahzah dov? (Where are the true Dragons?)"

For the several weeks he had roamed the skies of this Ferelden; and not one of his true fron (Kin) have made themselves known. Where were they? Alduin was thorough in his revival of the dov throughout the Vus (realm). All were woken from their deathless slumber before he went after Briinah on the wuth segeinok strunmah (old one's mountain).

Then again, he along with others recalled the former Thur's immense fury after his sojourn across the Azurian seas. Muttering about raan (animals) for whom the joor titled them as Dov. But strangely next to nothing of their true ilk here.

Something was odd about these lands. Despite the blessing of Kyne all around them, he barely felt the touch of the unslaad pindaar (Immortal Plain).

But the shores of Oblivion…

Did that explain why his dovah fron (dragon kin) were not roaming this place? He had more questions than answers. He knew his briinah was likely feeling the same, but more vocal in her annoyance of it all. Speaking of his sister he should likely go check on her. Being in this dreary place only made his anger rise and give him the urge to burn something

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

With his armor off, adorned in only his leather chainmail jerkin and pants, Marcus sat near the fireplace of Morrigan and her mother's hut with a sleeping Loke. His exhausted gaze observed Miara and Morrigan's mother tending to the wounds of both Neria and Brianna on a large bed. On a cot on the ground beside the bed was Sofie, out of her armor and in her simple jerkin and pants, assisted Serana with Alistair and Gin. Sitting at a table Morrigan worked diligently on several alchemic potions.

"You were lucky not to be struck by any tainted arrows lad." Morrigan's mother spoke up while not looking away from her work. "Unlike these four, your death would likely have been assured."

"We all would have died not for you ma'am. Forgive me, but I never got your name."

The elderly woman gave a bemused chuckle noting the thur's quick glance towards her then back to her charge; "I am glad to see that some nobility learned their manners properly. As for your question, you may call me Flemeth."

That was _not_ a dovah name…

For a split second the exhaustion fled the Cousland's now alarmed gaze; "T-The Flemeth?"

"And your name lad?"

"Marcus Cousland… You and my family have met."

Yellow eyes gleamed and soon peered over at the young noble. "Ah! Sarim did well for himself once after the Elstan bloodline had faded into nothing. How is the family?"

The young noble's face darkened at the question; "We were… betrayed and nearly wiped out by someone we thought was a friend. Miara is half the reason many of us survived." His fists tightened as the mental images came into his mind.

"You were more _blessed_ than you realized," Flemeth cryptically uttered with grin. Her amusement only grew at the sight of the hidden glare from the dark elf. "It is almost reviving as it is injudicious to know that nobility haven't changed in all these centuries. Still, your family proved themselves to be above the pettiness and stupidity among the majority of the ' _highborn_ '."

"Marcus." Miara spoke as she removed an arrowhead from Neria's shoulder; "Get some sleep, the rest of us will be tending to these four."

A low grunt had come from the man; "Not sure if I can honestly."

Upon hearing that Morrigan paused for a moment before getting out of her seat. Strolling over to a bookshelf filled with all manner of tomes and potions, the young woman grabbed a small vial. Keeping his eyes on the raven haired sorceress, she came to stand in front of Marcus before holding out her hand "Take this."

Looking between the vial and Morrigan, Marcus took it from her and stared at it; "How fast does this work?"

"Within moments;" the young apostate simply addressed.

"…Thank you." Morrigan gave surprised look before giving a small nod and returning to her previous work at the table. Popping off the cork Marcus raised the vial to his lips. The bitter taste made him groan before a heaviness enveloped his body. His eyes fluttered before closing as he dropped the vial.

"A strong lad, testament to his lineage;" Flemeth grinned while working; "But I imagine you wished to keep more discreet a conversation between us ladies?"

Serana glanced to the elderly woman before over to her daughter; "And how much does Morrigan know?"

"You can ask me, I am right here," Morrigan coyly retorted as she mixed several ingredients in a bowl.

"Do you believe I would let my daughter be completely ignorant of the world beyond Thedas?" A scoff came from Flemeth; "She is likely the rarest person on these shores to be aware of Tamriel."

An annoyed glare appeared on said daughter's face; "Though mother has not _fully_ divulged everything."

"Of course, learning on your own can do more than a mere lecture my dear."

Placing bandages over Neria's wounds after applying some healing spells, Miara gave an even stare towards the elderly woman. "I was under the impression I was the only 'Jill' on Nirn."

Flemeth returned the young Thur's stare with her own; "And how far have you traversed our _Lein_ ( _World_ ) to be so assured of such a fact hmm?"

"She kind of has you there mom." Sofie retorted finishing up on Alistair.

"By the way, while I know your reserves of magicka are immense thur, I imagine that guise is getting quite taxing to hold." Flemeth waved a dismissive hand.

Morrigan paused for a moment at the sight of Miara's now grey skin and glaring crimson eyes before finishing up her work. Well, her mother actually wasn't exaggerating on the uniqueness of elves in Tamriel. The younger witch soon returned to her work, shaking up a small vial as the potion entered the last stages, its color going from a sickly pale to a faint red. She set the potion at the end of the table, which was quickly lifted by a telekinetic force and flew straight to Serana's hand.

At the moment Sofie finished removing the last arrow, this one stuck on Alistair's stomach; Serana poured the contents of the potion into the wound. The senior Warden groaned in pain, his face twisting in agony. Less experienced people would think he was awake given the noise he was making, but in truth it was merely a reaction of the body, pure reflex.

The nord carefully began removing the arrow heads on Gin's body, before removing the leathers that covered his torso. In the commotion she had not noticed it before, but now as she paid closer attention to the wounds, she could tell something was off about them.

"The wounds are not infected" The nord noted. With all the manner of poisons Darkspawn surely coated their arrows in, not to mention their own Taint, it was hard to believe.

"Grey Wardens are highly resistant to most poisons and diseases, infected wounds are rarely a problem unless more esoteric venoms afflict them" The Witch of the Wilds commented as she undressed the human mage. "Do not concern yourself with cleaning them, only with closing them"

"Hmph" Serana frowned, "As I suspected, the Wardens... they have the Blight in them. That's why they needed Darkspawn blood for their rituals, they must have consumed it" The vampire was intimately familiar with such types of blood rituals, so it wasn't hard for her to connect the dots. The blood, their tight lips regarding the nature of their Joining, it all presented a very clear image on her mind.

"You are correct, Daughter of Coldharbour." Serana's head nearly snapped as it turned so fast towards an amused Flemeth. "To become a Grey Warden you must pay a heavy price. And there are many who do not survive the Joining."

Sofie inspected the Darkspawn arrowhead without touching it; "There was no other way?"

"The first Blight left no alternatives; Dumat and the Darkspawn were utterly relentless in their onslaught against Thedas. And so the Joining was made, and Grey Wardens became our defense against the Blight."

The four ladies were quiet as they processed what they had learned. Removing an arrow from Brianna's naked form, the dunmer met Flemeth's gaze. Neither spoke but their eyes addressed the words in their thoughts. Aedric intervention was nigh impossible without a means of creating an avatar. And Daedric Princes... Well for most of them Miara would never want them getting their hands on the Blight itself.

A sigh escaped the elf as she weaved a healing spell "What is the Blight?"

"Come now Thur, do you expect me to give you all the answers?" Flemeth bemused dressing another of Brianna's wounds. A deep rumbling growl resonated from the Dragonborn. So much so the hut faintly shook, stirring Loke whose head shot up; "I see Paarthurnax's lessons of patience never took. Calm yourself goraan dovah (young dragon); wouldn't you rather discover the reasons? The testimony of one person would never give the full spectrum of what you need to learn."

Miara wanted to rebuke the woman but she knew Flemeth was correct. She needed to see Thedas, explore as much as the land as she could travel. Find out what is going on, and when she ever gets back to Tamriel strangle a certain altmer girl!

* * *

 **XxX ~ Next morning ~ XxX**

* * *

It had been touch and go, but the four Wardens were now in stable condition. Every so often Miara checked on them just to be sure, relaxing when she found their breathing to be steady along with their heartbeats. She had slept little, but it wasn't something a few potions and spells couldn't fix. At least Serana and Sofie had rested better than her.

While her daughter rested on her side of the hut, Flemeth had not gone to sleep the entire time they had been there. No doubt the dragon did not want to take any chances with the born dragon slayer under her roof. From time to time the two would exchange looks, and while Flemeth's eyes carried an amused mocking glint to them as if to say 'I know something you don't', it was clear she did not want to actually goad Miara into open hostility.

And to Miara's discomfort, she owed Flemeth a debt for helping her save the young ones. Even though she wanted direct answers from her, it was clear the dragon who felt as though there was something else with her soul, would not give her any.

It infuriated her, she could feel a spark of... something in Flemeth's soul. Not draconic like the rest of it, but... different. The dragon soul part was larger, and there were traces of former mortality in it, along with something that put Miara on edge.

But for now, there would be no confrontation between them.

The dunmer let out a sigh as she sat on the table, while her lover and her daughter were still asleep next to the Cousland and mabari. She helped herself to a small wooden cup and retrieved a small bag from one of her pouches. She poured the contents into it, small brown beans, and squashed them into paste with a small touch of magic. Then, she conjured water from the humidity in the air and filled the cup, heating it with a small arcane flame, the water mixed with the paste and took on a brown coloration, the drink steamed and let out a strong smell that was simply delightful to Miara's nose.

To other people, however. "Ugh, what is that smell?" Morrigan asked with a disgusted expression as she carried with her a recently baked loaf of bread in her hands.

"Kahve" The dunmer shrugged, "A drink from the lands of Hammerfell. When it comes to waking you up, it works like a stamina potion"

"And it looks like you could use it to kill bad weeds" She replied with a sneer, "Honestly; I swear I can taste it just by smelling it..."

A chuckle and roll of the eyes came from the elven woman as she sipped her drink. The tiredness within her body was ebbing away before glancing towards the young Wardens. "I don't suppose you were watching the battle last night?"

"Oh I was; I witnessed the Darkspawn charge against your forces in fierce combat. As well as watching a man in the distance quit the field and left with his troops."

...Loghain? H-he abandoned his king?!

But that made no sense, Bryce and Eleanor had both shared several tales of the hero of River Dane. And her own meeting with Loghain showed much of his character; stern and hard but fair. A man loyal to his nation and his king/son-in-law. To just abandon the husband of his daughter and ruler of his nation.

Ferelden was going to be in utter chaos…

Miara groaned massaging her temples with her free hand; "I am going to kill Arameris..." She had dealt with this crap already thirty years ago back home!

"Arameris?" Morrigan's voice brought the dovahkiin out of her thoughts; "And who is that?"

"...The reason why my family and I are even here." Miara murmured as she continued her drink.

The young apostate did not press forward as she shrugged; "At any rate breakfast stew is done. Mother said you and the others can have some."

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

The warm bliss fell down her throat as the vampire greedily drank from the magnificent life nectar that was her beloved's blood. Power and divinity filled its essence, giving it a supreme taste that could only come from the most chaotically beautiful depths of Oblivion, and the unreachable perfection of Aetherius.

It gave her renewed strength, and the sun's smiting rays became a tolerable annoyance.

"Okay, I think you had enough" The dunmer said half-jokingly. "You're going to dry me otherwise"

Very reluctantly, Serana let go of Miara's arm, wiping the errant trails of blood from her mouth. "Sorry, been a while since I last fed from you" More than once did the vampire tell the elf her blood was just a rare mix of irresistible substances. She wasn't ashamed to admit the first time she had fed on Miara the feeling had been orgasmic.

Miara merely shook her head amused, healing the two puncture wounds on her arm quickly before rolling down her sleeve.

"So" The vampire spoke slowly, "This is a fine mess we've gotten ourselves into"

"I'd like to say somebody else got us into the mess this time" The red eyed elf replied with a drawl. "One decade. I want to go just ONE decade without involving myself with the fates of nations"

"Ohhh I know you love it deep down" Serana coyly retorted. "The adventure, the thrills, the dangers, the political drama"

"Oh yes, because I clearly didn't have enough that in Skyrim"

"Fine, fine" The nord held up her arms in surrender before crossing them beneath her bosom, a thoughtful expression forming upon her brow. "We should inform our children. They ought to know what's going to happen to Ferelden now"

"Yeah" Miara slowly nodded, bringing up her ringed hand. "Yeah you're right"

She activated the enchantment to connect with Oryrn and Sarya's rings, two blue lights shone above it, signaling their connection... " _Hello_?" Came the youngest daughter's voice.

"Oryrn, Sarya?" She tried not to sound too concerned, but their children knew better.

" _Is everything okay_?" Oryrn asked in concern.

" _Are you okay, mom_?" Came Sarya's voice, worry mirroring her twin's.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine but..." She paused for a moment; running a hand of her face and hair in exhaustion. Miara let out a long sigh, "At Ostagar, we... the battle was lost"

" _What_!?" Both twins shouted; " _Are you alright!? What about Sofie! And mama Serana_!?" Sarya's voice grew more and more frantic.

"Sarya," Miara's voice though tired held a calming parental tone. "We were hurt but nothing life threatening. However Marcus, Neria, Gin, Brianna, and a young warden named Alistair are in rougher shape."

Oryrn spoke up; " _What happened_?"

"The Darkspawn had outnumbered us. Serana and I fought alongside Duncan while Sofie went with Marcus and the others to light a beacon for Loghain Mac Tir and his men to flank the beasts from behind. The beacon was lit but no forces came. We were betrayed, Duncan asked me to save Marcus and the others. Getting there we were ambushed by Darkspawn. Someone... saved us, but I'll explain her later."

"Truly," It was then that the very much uninvited voice of the Witch of the Wilds was heard, both dunmer and nord directed heated glares at the approaching Flemeth who merely bore an amused smile. "That is rather quite rude young Thur."

A long pause came from the twins before a question came from Sarya; " _Who is that? And why did she call you Thur_?"

Serana replied to her children; "We're working on that. But as of right now, it's just us who survived Ostagar. Besides that bastard Loghain."

" _That does not make any sense_ ," Oryrn's voice no longer his usual calm; " _I've been in Redcliffe for a while now and people praise him greatly. He was the longtime friend of the late King Maric. He willingly left his friend's son to die_?"

"Believe me, we want answers as much as you," Miara said with rage in her voice; "But now the Darkspawn have nothing stopping them from advancing further into Ferelden."

" _Oh gods_..." The youngest daughter muttered horrified. " _W-What are you gonna do_?"

"We" Miara paused momentarily, "are working on it. For now on stay put, I'll inform you about the next course of action once we have one. First we need to tend to our young Wardens"

" _I hope you keep safe_ " Oryrn voiced.

"You two. I'll talk to you later"

" _Goodbye mom, take care_ "

The dunmer sighed as her ring stopped glowing and her arm fell to her side. "Daar lost aan ni hin golt wah tinvaak... (That was not your place to speak…)"

Annoyingly Flemeth only kept her amused grin as she chortled, though raised her hands in a placating manner. "Krosis Thur. (Apologizes Overlord)."

It was then a familiar roar echoed through the skies above garnering their attention. Soon Odahviing came down and landed near the hut; "It took some effort to find you briinah." The ruby dragon declared before his eyes stopped at Flemeth.

"Well now, next to our Thur I was not expecting to encounter another of our kind."

For a long moment there was silence, Odahviing merely bore a long stare at the elder woman before a deep enraged growl escaped his maw. " **HI QAH OI AAN JOOR**! (YOU HIDE AS A MORTAL!)" The entire area shook from the dragon's rage as he bellowed " **LOST HI SIZAAN HIN KAH**!? (HAVE YOU LOST YOUR PRIDE!?)"

Serana had to cover her ears beside her surprised lover. So much rage glowed from Odahviing as he appeared ready to rip Flemeth apart having simply just having looked at her. However the amusement fell from said elderly woman as she glared back at the fellow dragon.

"Oh yes, we must never forget our pride. The same pride that nearly destroyed us thanks to Alduin's nonsensical lust for power and forgetting who he was!" Flemeth roared back with a sneer; "I would not fall into the same idiocies the rest of you had done!"

That only seemed to enrage Odahviing further, but before he could do anything Miara stepped in-between both; " **ENOUGH**!" Her thu'um blended into her voice shook the area if not the entire wilds.

The door to the hut shot open, and drawn in by the commotion brought out a startled Morrigan who was already conjuring a ball of arcane flames on her hand. "What is the meaning of-?!" She soon stopped the moment she saw the massive red scaled dragon glaring daggers at her mother. "I... see that you have everything under control. I'll just continue with our breakfast"

She slowly made her way back inside, passing by an alert Sofie and a concerned Marcus. The nord let out a relieved sigh and smiled warmly at the sight of the old family friend, while Marcus let out a startled noise as he scrambled to reach for his sword, only to realize it wasn't on him at the moment.

Sofie thankfully put her hands on his shoulders to calm him down and stop him from doing something drastic. "It's okay Marcus, there's no problem"

"No prob-? That is a dragon!"

"I know, he's family"

Blue eyes looked at her own in flat bewilderment, "What" His tone didn't even portray a questioning tone properly, it was all shock.

The nord let out a sigh, "Look, just get back inside and I'll tell you. Let them sort things out"

"I think I preferred the battlefield than dealing with this..." He said with great exasperation as he was lead back in the hut.

Serana looked on as the door was closed again, well, that was a conversation she was not looking forward to. At least the swamp wasn't on fire. Yet.

The great dragon grumbled in displeasure. "Your place belongs in the Heavens, Jill, aiding our Father to maintain the flow of time. Why are you here, in the pathetic disguise of a mortal, hiding like a coward?"

"Ohhh I found this form suits my needs" The witch replied with a haughty shrug of her shoulders.

Odahviing showed his teeth, "And your soul... I cannot even begin to make sense of what it is. You felt this too, didn't you briinah?" He rhetorically asked the dunmer, knowing full well she most likely had done so. "The dragon soul cannot be hidden, and yet it feels as though there is... more to it. Old traces of mortality of all things, along with something old. Powerful. Not of the mortal realm"

Flemeth merely smiled, even as Odahviing lowered his large head to the point it was face to face to the witch.

"You mantled something, mey (fool)" The ruby dragon said in display of insight and understanding. "There are powers that should well enough be left alone"

That pretty much confirmed Miara's suspicions. The confusing state of Flemeth's soul, as though it had been one thing and then changed to another entirely, or even taken the aspects of something else into her. She couldn't tell if she had been born a mortal and mantled a dovah, and later absorbed the essence of an ancient spiritual being. The dunmer wasn't sure in what order it had even happened.

"Who are you, truly?" Miara demanded.

"Tut-tut" The witch waggled her finger. "You owe me a debt for saving your little friends, Thur. As such, I choose to keep my silence. Regardless, I am the least of your concerns"

Odahviing's blue eyes met his Briinah (sister) who gave reserved nod; "She did save us from the beasts you likely noticed when coming here."

"...Their perversion of life itself was not hard to miss." the ruby dragon growled; "In all my existence I had never seen or felt such corruption and evil. What are they?"

"Something I need to explain to you. And Durnehviir when I summon him." The elf huffed as she crossed her arms under her bosom. "Will you remain in this area?" He gave a nod in reply; "Good. Now I've got to explain some things to a young man who is likely freaking out presently. I'll introduce you to him." Her gaze went from Flemeth and Odahviing; "I trust you two won't kill each other?"

"Bah! I have nothing to prove to this goraan segein (young one)."

"I will do nothing to the mey (fool)."

And that was as cordial as the dragonborn could expect from two dov.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

As the door of the hut opened Marcus leaned a bit forward still seeing the enormous ruby scaled dragon who's gazed turned to him. An awaken Loke growled beside his master as Miara, Flemeth, and Serana came inside. "How is a dragon a member of your family?" the young noble questioned.

Sofie sighed beside Morrigan who ate her breakfast, but kept her eyes near the now closing door; "So that is a Vahzah Dovah (true dragon)... Interesting, but I will gladly stay at a distance if it is remaining here."

" _'He'_ won't eat you girl." Miara corrected with a drawl as she took a seat beside Marcus and Loke.

"Miara, I feel that I've respectfully been patient due to the debt I owe you for helping keep my family and people safe" The young noble said with carefully measured tone, "You've been forthcoming about stating you have a past you are not proud of, you've provided me with wise counsel, and have even joined a fight you have no stake in, for that I am deeply grateful... That being said, upon seeing the talking dragon outside, I feel I must ask; What. The. Hell?"

The dunmer rubbed her eyes. "Alright, alright. Short version, the dragon is my brother"

"I see" Marcus said, in a tone which indicated he did not see at all.

"The long version is a... complicated story, one I do not feel like repeating, so I promise you once the others are awake I will tell you the truth" She gave him a reassuring look. "And I can promise you, you have nothing to fear from Odahviing so long as I'm here"

The Cousland gave the dragon a look from the edge of the door, "Odahviing" He repeated the name, testing it. "So, whatever secrets you have kept so far, you must have good reasons"

"Very much so" It was Serana who replied, "Tell me, do you believe in your Maker?"

The question came so out of nowhere it surprised the young noble, "I... am not particularly religious. I do not disagree that he might exist but, I've always felt the matters of faith to be a hindrance when they become too involved with the physical" Enough wars and many horrible decisions have been made in the name of faith.

"Good" The nord replied as she crossed her arms, "Otherwise, Miara's origins would shake your faith"

It took Marcus a few seconds to process that. "Oh"

"And that" Miara gave her beloved a pointed glare. "Is a conversation for much later"

It was THAT serious?! But he supposed putting his trust in the elven woman has not come back to bite him yet. The young noble gave a curt nod before glancing back towards the door; "There had always been... stories, not many but some which tell of dragons who could talk. Had minds beyond the scope of mortal understanding."

"They exist, as you just saw." Sofie expressed as she took a bite of some bread. "I've known Odahviing since I was seven, closest I have to an uncle."

Flemeth only chortled at the young noble's reaction to what he just heard. "For clarification young Cousland. The majority of the dragons that roam about Thedas are Sunvaar, beasts in comparison to Vahzah Dov, true dragons." Her aged lips turned upwards to a smirk; "Feel out of your depth yet?"

"...Extremely."

Serana patted the man's shoulder. "Trust me, I was in your shoes thirty years ago. And how that girl kept her sanity through it all is amazing." She thumbed over to Sofie beside Morrigan.

"Gee, thanks mom." The Nordic warrior woman deadpanned.

Loke slowly came over to Miara before laying down with his head on her lap. She petted the large mastiff while glancing to the still sleeping four; "Can we guess how long they will be out?"

"They had lost quite a bit of blood," Morrigan explained as she drank some water from a cup.

Flemeth took over from her daughter; "Two or three days at most. Take this time to rest and gather yourselves."

* * *

 **XxX ~ three days later ~ XxX**

* * *

The first thing Neria saw as she opened her eyes were blurry figures, she could vaguely hear voices around her as her mind slowly woke up from her long slumber. Her whole body felt heavy, it felt difficult to even more her limbs.

"Neria" The joyful voice of her friend spoke, as a figure saw next to her. "You're awake" There was great relief in Brianna's voice.

The elf groaned as her gaze steadily focused, the surroundings became clear, and so she noticed they were inside a hut. She blinked a couple of times as she gazed at her friend's face. "Where... Where are we?" With Brianna's help she pushed herself up on the bed. "What happened?"

"The Darkspawn ambushed us" Gin said, and she saw the city elf laying against a wall with his arms crossed. "We were wounded pretty badly"

"My mothers arrived just in time to see guys being cut down" Sofie spoke up, sitting on a chair with her front facing the backrest. "Had Morrigan's mother not arrived to save you guys, you'd be dead"

The elf looked at her figure, she was wearing a plain linen shirt and could see bandages wrapped around her torso, no doubt the areas where the arrows had hit her. "And the battle?"

"Loghain never answered the signal" Brianna said with barely controlled anger in her voice. "He left the army and the king to die"

"What!?" Neria regretted shouting as she winced holding her side. A concerned Brianna held her longtime friend who hissed out; "Why? Cailan was his king and his son-in-law!"

Standing near the bookshelf, Morrigan overheard the conversation as she read a book; "Who's to say why. All that matters is that it happened." Neria, Brianna, and Gin turned their gaze towards her; "The real question is; what shall you do about it? Other than muttering incoherently like a fool as the other Warden did."

A small glare came Sofie; "Alistair thought the other Wardens like family. How would you react with such a dreadful thing?"

"Before or after I stopped laughing?" Beside the amusement in her tone, the woman's cheerful smile was a bit unnerving to the others.

Sitting opposite of Gin, Marcus shook his head as he rubbed his hound's ear; "At any rate, we need to get you up to speed with a few things as the others have Neria."

"Other than the hero of River Dane betraying the king and leaving him and the others to die?" Neria chided before noticing a few absent in the hut; "Where is Miara and Serana? And Morrigan's mother?"

Morrigan answered that "Mother is outside with the fool Alistair and Odahviing. As for Miara and Serana, they are scouting."

"...Odahviing?"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

While both ladies had seen far worse in their long years, Miara and Serana still felt the bile in their throats as they observed Darkspawn, sitting on the ground and devouring several corpses. Blending into the shadows and had made utterly no sound, the ladies had returned to Ostagar to survey the aftermath of their side's defeat.

The sight was as grizzly as they expected...

Pyres burned with dismembered bodies hung above them to cook. Other corpses of human, elf, some dwarf, and Mabari laid all over the area. Some were eaten, others had their bodies arrange in some kind of twisted amusement for the blighted creatures. The Dunmer clearly saw the remains of Duncan, having been literally split in half, his armor having been shredded like paper. Serana bit back a growl at the sight of the late king's body being hung from a wooden pike.

"And I thought my father was a monster." a hushed whisper came from Serana.

Harkon and the Darkspawn were two different brands of evil. The Vampire Lord had chosen to inflict pain and misery upon others because he relished it, whereas the Darkspawn seemed acted only based on their instinct to destroy, consume and taint.

But this display, their 'trophy', the various totems and multiple macabre sculptures fashioned out of flesh and bone, it indicated they clearly possessed a far greater intelligence than most people believed. They knew who Cailan was, or at least, they understood it he was someone important to the humans. And so they had taken task of parading his corpse, even going so far as to use necromancy to preserve it, as though to send a message to the world; No matter who you were, kings and lowlifes alike would fall before the Blight.

Had their sheer numbers at Ostagar not convinced her enough, and then now Miara would be certain the Darkspawn were a threat not to be taken lightly.

"This is why we came here" Miara muttered in a distant tone. "What Arameris foresaw"

"You think the Blight can reach Tamriel?"

"Unlikely" The dunmer replied, "But... I feel it, the winds of fate shifting again. Whatever happens here, we were brought here for a reason"

Ferelden, Thedas, the lands of these continent and the current events happening right now, for a Doom Driven individual like her to arrive just when this country faced an imminent threat, well, Miara seldom believed in coincidences nowadays.

"Come, we must return to Flemeth's hut"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

"It just doesn't really feel like it's sunken in yet, you know? It was like I just saw them a few moments ago, Duncan and the other senior Wardens" The young Warden Alistair muttered with melancholy as he stared at the foggy distance of the swamp.

"Hmph" His unwilling listener made a sound that barely conveyed any acknowledgement.

"But, they're gone now. I know that, I just... can't properly wrap my head around it. I guess it's because I've never really grieved for anyone before"

A long growl came, followed by the movement of a massive scaly body as it tried to find a more comfortable position to sleep. The silver armored human who did not stop talking made that nearly impossible.

"I don't know if that makes any sense or-"

"You are under the illusion I care for your plights, mortal" Odahviing spoke in a very tired voice, his head resting atop the claws of his wings, "Allow me to dispel it"

"Right..." The Warden trailed off. "Didn't know why I even thought a dragon could make for a good listener"

"For there to be a good listener, there must be a speaker who does not spew irritating nonsense from its mouth"

"And here I thought we were getting along" Close by, leaning against the wall of her hut, Flemeth had observed the entire scene with mild amusement.

Soon after Brianna had been explaining to a dressing Neria what has been going on. Having gone outside with the others hearing Alistair ramble around a half awake and irritable enormous red dragon. That wasn't attacking them mind you. The young elven mage could only stare at Odahviing till being noticed by him. "If you think about touching my beautiful scales Fahliil (Elf), I'll burn you alive."

The old legends were actually true! Fully sentient dragons capable of speech, never in her life did Neria believe such a thing, never mind actually get to meet one. Then what the dragon said registered in her mind; "Um, why would I want your scales?" Her question matched the bewilderment on her face as she peered to Brianna who shrugged.

Odahviing only growled before closing his eyes.

Gin leaned to his fellow elf's side to whisper; "I don't think he is fond of mages."

"It takes a while to get used to him." Marcus retorted as he petted Loke's head.

A fully armored Sofie again stressed that her 'uncle' (how does that work again?) won't eat any of them and was in fact a good person. To which the grouchy dovah only snorted in response but remained still. Well, this was an interesting morning to wake up on.

Physically forcing herself to look away from the sleeping dragon, Neria turned to the others; "So now what do we do?"

"Wait for my mothers to get back before we do anything." Sofie spoke up beside Flemeth who kept her gaze on each of them.

"For what?" Brianna bluntly spoke with frustration. "The army is dead, Loghain turned tail and left us, we are the only Wardens left in Ferelden. What are we supposed to do now?"

Flemeth chuckled in amusement, "My, the Wardens have forgotten their role in their centuries of vigilance?"

"Of course not!" Alistair snapped at her words passionately. "No, if we just stand around and do nothing we're not only spitting on the memory of our brothers and sisters, we're also leaving Ferelden to die"

Gin drummed a finger against his crossed arm, "But how would we fight them? We lost so many at Ostagar. And I don't know if Teyrn Loghain will listen to us after he abandoned the others in the battle"

"The signal was lit too late" The Cousland grimly informed them. "It took us near an hour to scale the Tower while battling all those Darkspawn. The line must have faltered by the time we did lit the beacon, and the Spawn were overrunning them, breaking the line. Loghain must have realized that sending in more troops would just get them killed"

Alistair turned to face him, outrage written clearly all over his vestige. "Are you defending him?!"

"I am trying to see all the facts, Alistair" Marcus replied with a light edge to his tone. "A military commander has to make sacrifices when he sees no choice"

"Then what of the king?" Neria pointed out. "I know it's ruthless, but you said so, wouldn't soldiers be sacrificed to at least escort him out of the battle"

Marcus looked at a loss for words for a moment. "At that, Neria, I have no idea. I do not approve of Loghain's actions, but we do not know on what mindset he was then."

Alistair snorted in loathing. Marcus couldn't blame him, Alistair was mourning Duncan's death, and the other Wardens had given their lives for this nation, only for their allies to turn away. He was angry too, and would no doubt be just as enraged as the Warden had Loghain left his brother to die.

But that was not the case, and someone needed to keep a clear head.

"So the biggest problem right now is a lack of troops to face the Darkspawn" Sofie summarized. "Can't you call for the aid of other Wardens elsewhere?"

"We can try, but it'd be of little use" Alistair shook his head. "The closest Wardens would be in Orlais, and calling for their aid would take too long. Not to mention the reinforces from Orlesian chevaliers were far too delayed for my liking"

"Orlais would be content with closing their borders and letting us all deal with the Blight ourselves" Gin said dispassionately. "I am not surprised they never showed up"

Neria saw the frustration and anxiety pilling up around them. The hopelessness of their situation was making them lose faith in sort of possible victory against the Blight. The dark skinned elf pinched her nose to stave off the incoming headache. She wasn't used to such dire circumstances, and would be thinking more clearly if she were back at the Circle library, with a cup of tea in her hand and her trusty... scrolls...

"That's it!" Multiple gazes snapped to her at the sudden outburst. She paid them no mind as she quickly looked through her satchel. She felt elation and relief blossom in her chest as she found what she was looking for. And pulled out a scroll for all to see. "I still have the copy we got from our trials, we still have the treaties!"

For a moment all were silent before Alistair ran towards the elven woman who squeaked as she brought into a hug, lifting her off the ground by a now very happy former Templar. "Sweet Maker, you haven't abandoned us!"

"Not the scene I was expecting when coming back here." Miara murmured as she cocked her head beside an amused Serana with her hood up.

Alistair however did not hear the dark elf's words as he still held a thoroughly blushing Neria; "We can build an army! With these Treaties we 'CAN' save Ferelden!"

"I am just as happy as you are Alistair," Brianna spoke slowly; "but can you put Neria down now please."

"Wha-" brought out of his jubilation at last he sees the completely blushing face of Neria and put her down; "sorry about that."

Adjusting her warden attire the young elf waved it off before noticing Miara's very grey skin and red eyes as she and Serana approached. The older elf playful smirked back; "You should have seen the others reactions."

"You said back in Denerim our people in Tamriel looked different. I just thought you just meant the height." Gin retorted with a flushed look.

Serana giggled from the confusion from Neria's expression; "He mistook Miara for a Qunari when he first woke up."

With a roll of his eyes Marcus Turned his attention to the Dunmer; "How did things look?"

From there the mood darkened; "Not good is about as delicately as I can put it. Unless any of you want nightmares for several months I can give the gory details." Miara addressed curtly with her arms crossed. "So things are not completely lost for us?" She questioned the group of youngsters.

"We have a chance with the treaties. If there is a Blight is threatening the whole of Thedas these treaties obligate humans, elves, and dwarves to rally their forces to help put an end to it." Alistair clarified looking up to the sky. "We still have hope." He whispered quietly

"Never let go of hope once you find it." Flemeth spoke up with a grin.

Miara gave a nod before glancing to Serana who smirked back. "Now onto something else... You no doubt wonder why there is a very large dragon sleeping near us. Or pretending to be asleep." She drawled glaring over at Odahviing who grunted.

Lazy oaf...

"Yeah. Why is that?" Brianna deadpanned with her hands on her hips. "And what is this business about him being your 'brother'?"

"That... is a very complicated answer. And we have other more pressing matters at hand. For now let's say he's very dear to me and so I see him as my kin, the sentiment is shared of course"

The dragon let out a very soft growl as though he was snoring.

"Love you too big guy"

"Can you tell us at least how he can, well, talk?" Neria questioned in amazement.

"The dragons in Tamriel are nothing like the dragons in Thedas" The dunmer began. "They possess intelligence, sapience; they are not animals like the creatures that inhabit Thedas. Their souls are extremely powerful, which grants them power beyond that of mere mortals. A type of magic so primordial it warps the world around them just by shouting"

"I see" The elven mage muttered slowly as she processed the information. "Research on dragons from Tevinter and Nevarra has long since indicated dragons possess extremely powerful magical affinity, much more than nearly any other animal. To the point many theorized their breathes were just raw primal magic"

"But if the dragons from Tamriel are as you say" Brianna continued, just as fascinated. "Then... wow, I can't imagine what your breathe can do" She said in awe to the great dragon, who merely ignored her.

"Okay, dragons are magic, I get that" Alistair quipped, summing up what he took from the explanation. "But Miara, even with how things are, will you still-?"

"Help you? Of course, I didn't save your life for nothing, boy" The dunmer was quick to reply. "No, I can't do nothing now that I've seen what the Darkspawn are capable off. You can count on my family's help"

Marcus let out a sigh of relief, thanking once again the dunmer's generosity.

"Does that include your 'brother' over there?" Gin dryly asked.

"I care not for what happens on this land" The ruby dragon lazily replied as he stretched his neck. "But if briinah deems your little mud ball of a nation worth saving, then all she needs to do is point me at the right direction and tell me what needs burning"

"Awesome!" The human mage cheered. "Gotta say, our army is already shaping up pretty nicely. How many people can say they got a dragon on their side?"

"My, my" Flemeth said with mirth, "A dragon, elves, mages and dwarves, you'll have quite the army at your call"

"Then we can do this" Alistair said with the confidence he had been lacking not too long ago. "Build up an army and save Ferelden"

"It is what Grey Wardens do, don't they?" Neria smiled.

"And drive our blades right through the Archdemon's skull" Marcus added with calm ferocity of a wolf stalking its prey.

"Oh I sincerely hope it's not your blade that does the deed, dear boy" Flemeth added in that tone Miara was beginning to find insufferable. "Otherwise, the Archdemon will not remain dead"

THAT got their attention. Bewildered looks turned to her in confusion.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Gin questioned impatiently.

The Witch placed a hand to her lips in faux surprise, "Oh, did your leaders not tell you? Truly, Warden Paranoia stretches so much they will even hide vital information from their own initiates it seems"

Serana gave the old woman an irritated glare. "Cut to the chase, woman. What do you know that we don't?"

She got the feeling Flemeth wanted to say 'lots of things', but instead she answered with another question. "Tell me, you young mages, whom I presume actually study history and lore in your little prison. Do you know about the battles fought against the Archdemon Dumat?"

"Well" Brianna exchanged a confused look with Neria, "There aren't lots of details. Only that Dumat was actually slain a few times, but the Archdemon could seemingly come back to life, until they had arrived Grey Wardens and their mages did something I believe"

"Indeed" Flemeth grimly stated, "For Dumat could jump bodies"

Her words made everyone pause and stare in shock.

"The soul of the Old God is a powerful thing, upon the destruction of its vessel it reaches through the Taint until it finds a new one from the soulless husks that are the Darkspawn. Again and again it will rise"

Her words helped re-ignite the desperation in them. "Then... how did the Wardens kill the Archdemons during four Blights?" Alistair could not even begin to understand why such a thing was kept from him.

"That is when the Grey Wardens arrived" The witch continued, "And consumed the Taint that they found a way to permanently kill the Old God. When a Warden slays the Archdemon, the closest source of Taint it can find is the already occupied vessel that is the Warden, the soul has nowhere to go, and so it is destroyed instead of finding a new Darkspawn body, and the Blight ends"

There had to be more than that. A skeptic look bore on Miara's, Serana's, and Sofie's faces that Flemeth took notice and merely grinned back. The Nordic vampire really fought the urge to bite that woman's neck and drain her dry. However the Alistair wore a much different expression.

Shock...

"Y-you know of the Joining ritual?"

To his question he was met with dry gaze from the elderly woman; "Young man I have been alive for countless centuries. And I have done more than simply hide myself away in this swamp. Yes, I know of the ritual, how it was made, and how to create it. And right now we need more Wardens than you four if you intend to stop this Blight."

Duncan had drilled into Alistair how much of secret the Joining was. An how it was kept away from the rest of Thedas. Weisshaupt would be in an uproar hearing of this. Ordering whoever learned of the Joining either be made into a Warden or be killed. But at the same time, this woman was Flemeth. The most dangerous witch in all of Thedas who has existed since the 'Towers age'. An abomination of immeasurable power, no one told this woman what to do. And any who tried to kill her ended up dead.

"I see your mind is racing on what to do now that you are aware I know of Grey warden secrets boy." Flemeth bemused at the sight of the trouble look on Alistair's face. "If you feel so inclined to follow the edict of Weisshaupt attempt to end my life. For I will not become a Warden."

All eyes turned to Alistair who stared at the ancient witch who returned the gaze. He let out shuddering breathe; "All the same to you I prefer staying alive. And you did save all of us. I won't tell Weisshaupt about this."

"Very good."

Marcus turned a questioning gaze to Flemeth; "So what are you bringing up the Joining for?"

"To teach you how to make it of course. You need more Wardens in your ranks my boy."

"What does it involve?" Neria asked, "I doubt it's as easy as drinking Darkspawn blood. Wardens can feel the Taint as Alistair said, so it means that there must be a type of magic involve both lowering the mortality rate and tying the Warden to the Blight"

"There is" The senior Warden explained, "More than Darkspawn blood, we also mix within it a drop of Archdemon blood"

Gin's eyes widened in disbelief. "The Archdemon's?"

"In Weisshaupt the Wardens store as much blood from the Archdemon's corpse as they can from each Blight. As only a drop is enough the order has reserves for many, many generations" Alistair grimaced, "Duncan and the other Wardens had been using Redcliffe as a temporary base, so they must have left their supply of Archdemon blood there. But the problem is that we need a mage of our group to learn how to prepare the Joining" He turned his gaze to the elder witch. "Which, I imagine is what you want to teach Brianna and Neria"

"Ohh if their Chantry indoctrination still has a strong grip in their minds they will not make it easy for me to teach, after all" Flemeth expressed, "The magic involved can be considered Blood Magic"

That revelation started the thedosian, but no one was more so appalled than the former Circle mages. The dark tanned elf shook her head violently. "No, out of the question" Images of Jowan and his betrayal appeared at the forefront of her mind, making her heart ache like it had a raw scar. "I refuse to learn Blood Magic"

"Then pray to whatever power you believe in that you or your comrades do not die, girl. For then Ferelden is doomed"

"So that means it's justified to-!"

"I'll learnt it"

Neria's rant was stopped before it could even begin; she turned to her friend with disbelief written in her green eyes. "Bri?"

Her friend looked resigned, "Anything to stop the Blight, right? We're Grey Wardens now Neria, we do what we must"

The elf grasped the human's arm in worry. "But Bri, even after-"

"The first Wardens of old used to leave entire villages to die, just so they could fight the horde at more important battles" The Amell said, sighing as she closed her blue eyes. "I refuse to let things become so desperate that will be our only choice. This is not a sacrifice, I'm not doing this to anyone but myself, I'm just... following my duty I guess"

"...Where was this side of you when it came to following the Circle rules?" It was the clear the elf did not like this, but she could not deny that they were in a desperate situation, and they had to do all in their power so make sure it didn't become worse.

"Circle rules are dumb" Brianna offered her a small smile.

"Very well then" Flemeth said a touch too eager for Brianna's liking. "Come girl; let me teach you the necessary spells"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

A low rumble resonated from Odahviing's throat, ignoring the ever curious large canine Loke who was sniffing around him. One lone sapphire eye was opened out of mild annoyance, fixed solely on the mastiff who grew bold once or twice before backing away. Close by Marcus occasionally glanced over to the dragon and his faithful hound.

"Loke's fine, Odahviing never ate my dog." Miara attempting to quell the young noble's with her casual tone was having the opposite effect. "Let's focus on what we need to do from here."

As Flemeth took Brianna back into her hut to learn the process of the Joining. Neria followed along with Serana and Sofie to keep an eye on them. This left Miara, Alistair, Marcus, and Gin outside with Odahviing and Loke wondering around the ruby dragon with curiosity.

The former city elf turned Warden sat on a stump checking his crossbow while overhearing the discussion between the other three. "The first thing we should do is gather the nobility for an emergency Landsmeet."

"A Landsmeet consists of the Banns, Arls, and Teyrns with the king and queen overseeing it. They happen when there are matters of great importance occurring." Marcus explained to the dunmer.

The elf gave a nod; "Aldous told me about it. Sounds like the Elder Council in Tamriel." And if they were anything like those meetings back home, they were completely boring and full of inane shouting.

Alistair lightly paced at he looked deep in thought; "Granted things would be tricky on account of... Well, you know." He weakly muttered with a glance towards Marcus.

The young noble grunted; "And knowing Rendon he will likely spin some story to Anora and Loghain as to why he tried to butcher my family. And mother would make her presence known at the Landsmeet, whether I liked it or not."

Miara disagreed, "Howe must have people looking all over for your family, and I doubt she'd appear in the open where she's vulnerable, especially with Iona and the kids to look after"

"True" Marcus conceded. "At the most I hope bann Alfstanna convinces her to stay in her territory for the moment. Either way I feel a Cousland must be there, so I'll be the one to talk to the Landsmeet on my family's behalf"

"What about your brother?" Alistair gently asked. "He and his company had yet to return when the battle started"

A series of conflicting emotions passed through Marcus' eyes. "Right now we have other priorities. All I can do is hoping my brother stays safe" The dunmer placed a comforting arm on his shoulder, understanding this was not an easy decision for the young noble.

"Alright" Alistair nodded, "So Denerim is our first stop. What then?"

"The Dalish clans are in the Brecilian Forest, where your other daughter is correct?" Miara nodded to Marcus in confirmation. "Then that should be our next stop seeing it's nearby. From there, the most logical choices would be Kinloch hold and finally Orzammar"

Gin inspected one of his silverite arrows; "So we have a plan then?"

"We tread very carefully when we go to Denerim." Miara warned all three young men; "Howe aside, Loghain _willingly_ left your king to die on the battlefield. So we have no idea of his state of mind."

That was true; Marcus knew enough of the man to know what he had allowed to happen. It went against all Loghain always stood for. He could only wonder how Anora would react to all of this. Despite Cailan's faults he was a good man at heart, who cared for his nation and people.

This was an utter mess, but it could be fixed... At least Marcus hoped.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Not long after Flemeth and the rest of ladies came out of the hut. Miara took note of Brianna securing her satchel tightly. The ancient witch peered over to Marcus; "I assume your affairs are in order on what to do next?" She was given a nod in response; "Good."

"So, we're finally ready to go?" The city elf asked.

"Yeah, think it's about time we head on the road" The young noble replied before inclining his head to Flemeth in gratitude. "Thank you for your aid, Flemeth"

"Oh no, thank you. You will be saving us all after" Nobody could tell how honest she was being honest. "Before you leave, I have one last gift for you..."

Whatever it was, it remained unspoken as at that moment the scantily clad witch came out from the hut. "The stew is ready, mother. Shall we still treat our guests to launch or will they depart?" She said the word 'guests' with all the fondness one had for the small pests like rats.

"They are leaving girl" Her mother clarified, "And you're going with them"

Morrigan have them her most sardonic smile, "Such a shame" before doing a rather comical double take, "What?"

"Yes, what?" Alistair parroted.

"You will need all the help you can get" Flemeth said as though that was obvious. "And my Morrigan has plenty of talent in magic"

"Have I no say in this?!" The young witch demanded, she was ignored.

"Yeah, how about no?" Serana pointedly replied as she stood next to Odahviing, the ruby dragon was giving both witches a very distrustful glare, a sentiment shared by Miara and Sofie. "No offense, you did help us and all, but we clearly do not trust you. So you'll forgive us if we find it suspicious that you offer your own offspring to join us in a such a dangerous quest"

"Have you perhaps considered I'm a bad parent?" Flemeth proposed with a teasing grin.

"If only they knew..." Morrigan muttered under her breath.

"I can assure you, sending my daughter with you has less to do with ulterior motives and more with the fact I want to... assure my investments are safe, you could say" The Witch of the Wilds explained. "Believe it or not, the Blight threatens me as much as it does the rest of this nation"

Miara exchanged an uneasy look with her beloved and daughter. For all Flemeth had done for them, they did not doubt it was for her own benefit, the dragon in human form was conniving and very silent about both her past and true intentions. Was it not Paarthurnax who once told her 'I would not trust another dovah'?

Well, the dunmer found she had few reasons to actually trust Flemeth... but on the other hand, she didn't like the thought of the Witch keeping an eye on them from a distance. If Morrigan was in their group, at least they could watch her closely. And if Flemeth actually cared (though it was very unlikely) for her daughter, then it would benefit the Dragonborn to have a potential hostage close at hand if the dragon ever tried everything.

"I believe we should take her" Miara finally said.

Sofie shook her head and gave her elven mother a questioning look, "Really?"

"Really." The dunmer crossing her arms behind her back; "More mages to aid us the better. And I am curious to see how skilled Morrigan is." She peered over to Marcus; "What do you think?"

The young noble was quiet for a moment before looking at Flemeth's daughter; "Do you want to come with us?"

At that Morrigan was silent as she stared towards Marcus and then over to her mother; "I suppose I have no say in the matter. I'll get my things, give me a moment" The young woman stomped back into the hut.

"Well this just got more interesting," Gin murmured kneeling down beside Loke to pet him. "Whether good or bad not sure yet."

Gripping her staff, Brianna glanced to Marcus; "We will have to go around Ostagar to avoid the Darkspawn. And it will be a day or two walk to Lothering."

"Fortunately for you my Morrigan knows paths to stay clear from the spawn infesting Tevinter's old fortress."

"Um..." Alistair slowly peered over to Odahviing who noticed his gaze; "You wouldn't mi-"

"If you think of suggesting of using me to carry all of you as transport I will bite you in half and burn the rest." The great dragon sneered; "Only briinah and her brod (family) have the right."

Miara then spoke up; "And if you think of asking me to convince my brother, the answer is no." Her tone flat with finality.

A deep guffaw came from Flemeth as she saw quite a few disappointed looks from the young Wardens. Soon the door of the hut reopened with Morrigan coming out with a leather satchel over her shoulder, and staff in hand. A mild irritated huff escaped her lips before stopping in front of her mother; "I suppose this is farewell mother."

"Not forever, just until the Blight is finished my dear. Do try to have fun."

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Saying a few final farewells to Flemeth the group began their trek through the wild. Odahviing was quick to take to the skies as he followed. He could not have left that place fast enough as far as he was concerned.

True to Flemeth's words, her daughter directed the them towards well-hidden paths a fair distance away from the ruins of Ostagar. It took a bit more time, but better than having a horde of blighters come for their blood. For most of the journey through the wilds was quiet, save short banter here and there. After a good several hours they took notice of the setting sun. They were quick to find a well-hidden clearing near a stream to set up a small camp for the night. Alistair and Gin made a campfire as the group set around it.

Hearing the familiar flapping of large wings, Odahviing came down to them. "The beasts at the joor ruins have not detected us."

"That's a positive at least." Gin spoke beside Neria and Brianna.

Ignoring the fact that he was talking to a dragon (better for his sanity), Marcus pointed out the obvious. "Any settlement we come near will panic if they see you close by. That is the last thing we need right now" As if fear for the Darkspawn horde wasn't enough, the sight of a dragon flying around, no matter how far, was enough to cause hysteria.

"Hmph" The dragon huffed as he leaned down close to Miara, Serana and their daughter Sofie, who were sitting on a log they had placed next to the fire. "You mortals are frightened by the sight of your own shadow. But I cannot disagree with your words"

Well, attitude aside, he could be reasoned with. Sometimes.

"You keep using that word" Brianna spoke, looking over the notes she had taken during Flemeth's lesson. "Mortal. Why is that?"

"My kin knows neither beginning nor end" He simply said, as though that stated everything.

The mage looked at the dunmer for clarification, who thankfully was more direct. "Dragons, true dragons, are immortal. Sure, you can wound them until their bodies simply cease to live, but all it takes is another dragon with sufficient power shouting for them to arise, and they can come back to life"

Gin stopped sharpening his daggers, giving the dragon a closely guarded look. "That is... terrifying"

He could have sworn the red dragon grinned. But that was impossible, he didn't have lips.

"For one of my kin to truly die, it takes dovah to kill another dovah. Our souls are then consumed by the other, as it is their right of victory"

"Consume their souls?" To Neria, it all sounded very ruthless. "That is extremely brutal"

"I do not expect you to understand our ways, little elf."

They were quickly finding just how alien was a dragon's mindset. Or perhaps, it wasn't that hard to understand. If what Odahviing said was true, they seemed to live on a code of 'might make right'. The very rule of the animal kingdom, survival of the fittest and all. Dragons, while sapient, were another type of beast who lived as they best know how to survive. It seriously brought the question as to how someone like Miara ever met and bonded with one to the point she called him her kin.

"I do wonder" Morrigan's curious tone held a barely concealed mischievousness to it. "How is it that this dragon is your 'brother' as you say?"

Miara was no fool; Morrigan was most likely well informed on her own nature. She just wanted to toy with the elf. But the look on her beloved and daughter told her that some measure of truth was necessary if they were to travel with this group.

The elf sighed, running a hand over her long dark locks, "Alright, I'll tell you. But please try to keep an open mind"

The Wardens and the noble looked at her with interest, inching closer to listen. Tamriel held a great element of mystery and concepts that were simply astounding to them, so very foreign in nature. So whatever she had to say to them was shaping up to be a rather hard truth to come to terms with. After all Marcus heard, he was sure the elf couldn't surprise him anymore.

"I am a dragon"

Okay maybe she still had a few surprised left yet.

A brief silence passed after that.

"Care to..." Marcus waved his hand, "elaborate?"

Serana snorted while Sofie shook her head amused.

Miara sighed, "Bottom line, I am an individual born with the soul and blood of a dragon. Dragonborn they call us. My voice, the Shouts I can call upon, they are forces of nature incarnate, twisting at the very fabric of reality" She thrust her chin at Marcus. "You saw in on Highever that night, when I called down a soul from the beyond to aid us and set those bastards ablaze during Howe's siege on Highever"

Brianna shook her head, "She did what now?"

The noble's eyes widened in realization; "When you breathed out literal fire, and that man that appeared, you used your... power, your Voice you said; to aid us"

"Yeah" Miara merely nodded.

"Why didn't you... use this power in the battle?"

"The Voice does not discriminate, there were too many allies all around me, and the collateral alone would have been devastating to the army. Not to mention the shock and fear they would all feel upon seeing me cast such powers. Morale would have broken long before the battle line did"

"Wait, wait, wait" Neria wildly waved her hands in front of her face. "You mean you were... born like this?"

"Yes," The dunmer said simply. "But the power did not manifest till thirty years ago. When the Dragons had returned to the world."

Impossible! While Neria did not fully understand Tamriel magics. There was no way for a foreign soul, let alone a dragon soul to be placed into a person's body. Only a possession did such things, was Miara possessed? That made more sense from all she had learn from her time in the Circle.

A rumble came from Odahviing; "And Alduin had made sure that all of the dov were awakened before facing you Briinah."

"Alduin?" Gin lifted a brow.

Miara dryly glared over to the ruby dragon; "He is a story for much later. Small part though, he was the first dragon. My zeymah, brother here told me he came to Thedas thirty years ago. Any weird stories during then?"

"That was a bit before our time." Alistair mentioned gesturing to himself and the others from Thedas. Though paused at Morrigan; "Not sure how old you are though."

"I had assumed wondering a woman's age is considered improper." The apostate mage frowned with an icy glare.

However Neria ignored them and tapped her stave in thought. Thirty years ago... Realization came as her eyes grew; "I remember something Irving told me. In Orlais there were reports of a dragon attack that devastated several farms and villages. That was the time Thedas found out dragons were not in fact extinct. The handful of survivors said it was a huge black scaled dragon."

"Alduin." Odahviing uttered simply. He was quite amused at the visible fright that formed of the faces of these young mortals. Save for the offspring of the foolish Jill.

"At any rate that is enough for the night." Serana spoke up; "We have another day before reaching Lothering so we need all the rest we can get."

She was right, tomorrow would be another long walk before reaching the farmer's village. Best they rest up as much as they could.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

After hunting for small game with Marcus, Loke, Miara, and Sofie returned with quick meal of rabbit. The group began their second trek through the wilds. This blissfully stayed uneventful of no darkspawn or wild animals. The second night was most quiet save for light eating and going to bed.

As the new day begun an resuming their sojourn, all was thankful at finally leaving the Wilds and finding a dirt road near open farmland. Morrigan stated it would take an hour to finally reach Lothering.

Odahviing had long since taken flight over the woods, to see if he could spot Darkspawn activity and to avoid drawing attention once they reach out the woods. So far their journey was mostly spent in silence, which was soon to be broken by the growing barking sounds of a canine.

The group turned, and Loke immediately became excited, sniffing the air before barking back.

Marcus, with long experience over mabari and their behavior, could tell what was going on. "There's another mabari nearby"

Loke barked in agreement, waggling his short tail.

Soon enough, they heard the rustle of leaves and from the bushes near the trees came a large grey furred mabari. It didn't look wounded or infected, and it acted with plenty of energy. The hound stopped upon seeing the group, and barked excitedly as he saw the source of the scent he had been tracking.

It sprinted towards Neria with great speed, nearly tackling the short elf as he pounced on her. "Oof!" She heaved a breath as she steadied herself under the heavy dog's weight.

The reactions from the group were mostly of mirth at the sight of the dog playfully trying to lick Neria's cheek. All except Morrigan who sneered in disgust.

"Well now" Gin chuckled lightly. "Seems you have a friend"

"Must be one of the dogs from the kennels in Ostagar" Brianna spoke as she examined the dog closer. "In fact... I think this is the same dog you helped cure"

A giggle only came from the young elven mage as the large mastiff licked her face. Finally stopping, Neria regained her composure as she looked at very happy Mabari. "It is you isn't it." The large hound barked as to say yes. "Well I am happy to see you survived Ostagar too."

Miara knelt down beside the hound; "You're a clever one aren't you?" The grey hound looked at the grey elf before licking her face. Patting the top of the Mabari's head she peered over to Marcus; "I can assume he imprinted on Neria."

"Appears so," He grinned as Loke came over and the two dogs sniffed at one another. "Amazed the Darkspawn did not notice him."

Luck can go a long way for some, Miara mentally mused as Neria got to her feet reclaiming her staff. "Having two hounds would be a benefit for us." The dark elf stood up.

The only one not pleased by the thought was Morrigan with a glowing glare. "Definitely a boy!" She rolled her eyes at Alistair's inspection of the hound.

"Need to make collar for him like we did with Loke if he's fighting with us." Serana mused beside Sofie.

Neria paused rubbing her new hound's back at hearing that; "Not sure if you need to. The Ash Warriors said if a Mabari can survived the Taint after being given that medicine they become resistant to it. Something about the unique way they were bred"

"There's that at least. Mabari's are very smart supposedly" Gin commented, "You're lucky Neria, every kid in the alienage dreamed of having one"

"I don't really know how to care for a pet" The mage admitted. "The Circle never allowed pets"

"Oh dogs are just like men" Serana waved off her concerns. "Just make sure to keep them fed and scratch them once a while"

"I do like my ears scratched" Alistair remarked in his usual brand of humor.

"The mutt better earn his keep then" Morrigan snidely spoke. Making the mastiff give her a gruff look that indicated he wasn't too fond of her either.

Neria turned to their resident expert (as much as he could be) on mabari. "What do you think?" She asked Marcus, "Can he help fight?"

"Well he wouldn't have been at Ostagar if he couldn't" The noble said, blue eyes looking over every detail of the hound. "Good muscled, strong legs. No apparent wounds" He knelt down and opened the mabari's maw, this one allowing him with no issue. "Nice sharp fangs" He patted the dog with a smile, "All in all, a fine young mabari"

Neria smiled at the dog, 'her' dog she thought made her a bit giddy. "He'll need a name" Hmm, what name could fit a hound like this?

"May I suggest one" The tall muscular nord spoke up. Sofie knelt down next to the dog and softly patted him behind the ears. "We had a dog when I was a child. Bran, he was a loyal good boy"

A fond smile of remembrance formed on Miara's and Serana's face. "He was a good Husky. Was just glad Isran let me have him." The dark elf missed that old hound.

"Only after he got two liters he let us have him." A snort came from the vampire woman.

"Bran..." Brianna knelt beside Neria as she tested the name and rubbed 'her' dog's head; "What do you think boy, you like Bran?" The grey mabari barked happily; "Bran it is!"

Morrigan did not share the amusement; "Glorious..." She droned.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

From the dirt path to now the Imperial highway, Miara altered her form to her guise as they finally neared the still very cramped Lothering. "Does it seem more hectic than before?" Neria asked while petting her new Mabari.

Miara glanced to Marcus who peered back. Neither spoke as they near one of the many stone steps of the highway. Entering the village proper they saw many villagers and refugees moving about in a hurried pace.

A lone Templar was keeping the people civil and orderly before he took notice of the figures coming from the highway; "Maker's breathe! Lady Sofie!"

The Nordic woman perked up hearing her name as the group stopped seeing a Templar run their way. "Lady Sofie, you're alive! And I thought it was blessing that only Carver and Aveline had returned to us!"

Sofie cocked her head at the fully armored Templar; "Ser... Nathan right?"

The helmet wearing man nodded as he stopped in front of the group; "You remember; Ser Bryant and Revered Mother Servilia would no doubt like to speak with you. All of you, as soon as possible."

Then his previous statement came to her; "Aveline and Carver made it back?" The nord questioned with relief as she let out a sigh. "Good, at least other people survived that massacre"

"Is there a problem?" Marcus asked the knight

"You mean besides the army having fallen at Ostagar?" The Templar replied pessimistically. "To say that everyone is on edge is an understatement. More southern villages have already been raided by the Horde, the amount of refuges that pass through here is just telling everyone the worst is yet to come. The Revered Mother can tell you more of the situation"

The knight bade them farewell, and as they entered the village they could see what he was talking about. There was fear in the air, in the faces of everyone present. The knowledge that the Ferelden army had fallen against the beasts was enough to put the fear of the gods in their hearts. A sense of hopelessness and desperation was all the remained.

"Maker this isn't good" Gin muttered as he focused his attention on an elven family camping just near the bridge. "Why haven't this people moved yet?"

"Where else would they go?" Brianna rhetorically asked.

"I'd say anywhere north is safer than being so close to the south"

"The walls of the alienage have not just caged you, but blinded you to the dangers of the outside world" Morrigan spoke knowingly, "The wilds beyond 'civilization' pose a myriad of dangers, the journey alone may take your life"

"Well, there is a heart after all" The city elf sardonically replied, green eyes giving her a dry gaze.

"Do not mistake my statement for compassion for these people. The smart ones will survive"

Sofie snorted, "The wilds gave you a very animalistic mindset huh? Odahviing would agree with you"

"I like that dragon" The witch merely shrugged.

As they neared the arch that lead to the Chantry, Serana couldn't help but let out a sound of discomfort, tugging at her hood to better cover her face from the sun. "You know I'm not comfortable around temples" She muttered to her lover.

"This one has next to no holy energy to it, it won't be any different than being close to an altar" Miara assured her.

Her retort was cut off the moment they heard panicked shouts, "I have seen them! They descend like an unrelenting tide of darkness!" A dark skinned man wailed to a gathering of people around him, "Devouring all that stood before them! Tainting the very earth with a sea of blood!"

"Ah, a doomsayer" Serana smirked sarcastically. "Now this a proper place of faith"

By the looks of his gear, he appeared to a wilder, chasind perhaps. His eyes were impossibly wide, as though he could still see the horrible events that had transpired any time he closed them. His foreboding words were making the already frightened people panic all the more if the expression on their faces was anything to go by.

"They will take your friends, your families, your very children!" He shook the arms of a nearby man who was too stunned to back away. "Their evil will claim us all!"

"Enough!" In a strong commanding voice, Marcus stepped forward. His blue eyes glaring piercingly at the demented chasind. "Watch your tongue, your words of calamity help no one"

"Is truth worthless then?!" The doomsayer shouted, "I have seen them with my own eyes as... as they took my family, as they burned my village and slaughtered the entire clan!" Tears trailed down from his eyes, clearing a path amidst the soot on his cheeks. "They are legion, they cannot be stopped..."

Marcus gave the man a sympathetic gaze. Oh, he knew far too well what it was to have your loved ones, your very home, be taken from you. But while he still had plenty to hold unto, this man had lost it all.

He looked upon the weary faces of the people, they too had lost much to the Horde. But they couldn't let despair win, or else the war was already over.

"I have seen their numbers, and tasted their brutality first hand at Ostagar" Shocked murmurs rang through the crowd in disbelief that someone had survived that hell. "I fought amongst many brave warriors who gladly laid down their lives to stop the Blight. And believe you me, this fight is not over yet. We may have lost the battle, but not the war"

Hushed comments were spoken through the many villagers and refugees, wondering if his words actually held any truth to them.

"But... But my clan..." The chasind sounded lost.

"You're still alive aren't you?" The Cousland replied. "That means you still have a chance to avenge them, not wallow in pain and self-pity, trying to inspire fear when your kin are known for their rage in the battlefield"

His gaze was that of broken realization, "I have shamed my ancestors..." He sobbed, fists clenching and trembling. "I... must avenge my clan. Even if it costs me my life" He didn't seem to be speaking to anyone at the moment, merely walking away from the chantry. "Gods as my witness, the monsters shall die by my blade..." And so he departed, ready to meet whatever fate the divines had planned for him.

"But, what if he was right?" A frightened peasant spoke in a trembling voice. "If the army lost what chance do we have?"

"More than you believe" Marcus spoke, placing a firm hand upon his shoulder. "In the name of Ferelden, on the spears of Highever, and the wreaths of the Cousland, I have not stopped fighting" Many let out gasped shocks at the revelation of the man's lineage. The brave noble turned his gaze upon his companions. "Just like I know my comrade Wardens will not let this great land fall"

The four Wardens now being looked upon by the villagers stood stock still before Neria spoke up; "W-We shall not let the darkspawn win. Ferelden in our home, and much like Orlais, they will find these lands difficult to take." She nervously stammered out in a soft tone.

This rather impressed and surprised a few around her. Miara only grinned at both Marcus and Neria.

At her words and Marcus's own the people calmed; "We... We believe you Lord Cousland, Lady Warden. They haven't broken us yet."

Alistair chuckled; "That's the spirit." Both Loke and Bran barked in agreement.

The villagers had bid farewell with a slightly brighter look as they went to help around the village. "Well, let's go see Ser Bryant and Servilia." Sofie remarked as she strolled towards the Chantry.

"If it's all the same to you all, I'll look around the village. See if anyone needs a hand." Serana interjected and quickly left the group before anyone could respond back.

Miara only sighed; "I'll go with her." The elf gave a nod to the others as she went to walk with her lover.

"What was that about?" Gin questioned.

Eyes turned to Sofie who only looked away; "Personal matter." The nord said simply as she went towards the Chantry.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Pews were filled with many people in silent prayer within the holy building. Others sat with their families with the priestesses and Templars assisting them. However as many took notice of Sofie and somber faces had brightened.

Happy murmurs echoed throughout the rows of people in genuine relief at seeing the woman who had done so much for them was safe and sound. Sofie exchanged a few nods of greeting as she spotted the faces of people she was more familiar with.

"Well, somebody's popular" Alistair quipped as they walked through the Chantry.

"Did a thing or two for the people here" The nord said humbly with a simple shrug.

They turned right, heading for the Revered Mother's study. Guarded by two Templars who gave weary gazes to the staff wielding women of their group, but otherwise said nothing given two of them were wearing the Grey Warden uniform.

The revered mother was a dark tanned woman, looking to be around her middle years, wearing the typical Ferelden Chantry robes that depicted her ranking amongst the clergy. She was going over a large ledger, apparently keeping a list on the supplies they would be taken with them if her conversation with a particular red haired woman in Chantry robes was anything to go by.

"The elfroot we have at hand will have to suffice" The Revered Mother, her tone rather resigned.

"We will have to ration it" Leliana cautioned.

"Everything will have to be rationed, lay sister"

Marcus chose that moment to make their presence known by clearing his throat. The women of the cloth gave them a startled look, more so the redhead at the tall nord woman in heavy armor. Her blue eyes widened in joy as she let out a quick sigh of relief.

"Sofie, you're alright!" She quickly approached strongly built woman. Arms outstretched seemingly to envelop her in an embrace, but held back at the last moment in hesitation. "When I heard about Ostagar, I feared..."

The lay sister yelped in surprise as a pair of long muscular arms picked her up by the waist, easily lifting her off the ground and holding her in a tight embrace.

"Oh you're gonna need do more than that to get rid of me" Sofie's radiating smile was all Leliana needed to cheer herself up; giving in she embraced the nord with her arms around her neck.

"Ahem" The polite interjection from the Mother was enough to stop the moment, and Sofie let down the redhead whose cheeks were slowly matching her hair. After giving the lay sister an amused and knowing smile, she turned to the Wardens and their companions, her mirth replaced by a somber look. "I am glad to see some Wardens survived Ostagar, but I am afraid that certain... complications have arisen for your group"

"The Templar outside mentioned something but didn't elaborate" Alistair spoke up, "What's going on?"

Mother Servilia sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "When Teyrn Loghain's forces passed through here, they informed the townsfolk and refugees about the result of the battle... how the King had been left to die by the Wardens"

The group became deathly silent upon hearing those words spoken. Marcus' mild confusion soon changed absolute disbelief grew. Sofie shared in his expression of shock beside a snort/scoff from Morrigan. However, it was anger and outrage that glowed from Alistair and the other Wardens.

"That bastard has the gall to accuse _US_ when he willingly allowed King Cailan to and the rest of us to die!" The former Templar snarled with barely contained rage clinching his armored fists.

Marcus shook his head; "What has gotten into Loghain?"

"I too share your confusion." A voice spoke behind them. The party glanced behind them to see Ser Bryant pause at Morrigan before entering the room. "This irrational action is very unlike what is known of him."

The revered mother gave a nod in agreement; "Indeed, I found all of this highly suspect. But as for you Wardens, being in the company of Sofie whose earned the love and respect of Lothering's people, and you young lord Cousland, for whom I had the honor of meeting your parents, I know the words of Loghain are falsehoods. But we must not speak this out loud."

...That was true; Loghain had a great deal of influence and power as a Teyrn. Along with the fact being a national hero of Ferelden. The landsmeet would prove a dangerous path to tread when they reach Denerim.

Marcus understood the most out of all of them. "It won't be easy when we head to Denerim."

"It will not be." Ser Bryant responded back; "I would suggest all of you to watch yourselves, keep the fact that you four are Wardens to yourselves."

Rubbing her temples Sofie let out an explosive sigh; "Well I know my mothers are just going to 'love' this." The heavy sarcasm was not lost on anyone. "On another note, how is Lothering?"

Leliana knelt down to pet both Loke and Bran; "We are finally ready to start our departure of the village. But it will hard."

"As much of an effort you gave to aid us Sofie, supplies will still be thin. Not as bad as they were, but still rough." Servilia murmured in mild exhaustion leaning back against her chair.

"Considering how long it took the Horde to advance from the Sunless Lands, it be wise to start moving soon" Marcus agreed. He crossed his arms, bearing a thoughtful expression his brow as he slowly exhaled. "We thank you for informing us of this, Revered Mother. We can be better prepared now against Loghain's claims now that we know about it"

"Nonsensical as they are" Gin muttered harshly, "Seriously, who is dumb enough to believe him?"

"Anyone vaguely aware that Grey Wardens once tried to usurp the Ferelden crown two Ages ago" Brianna dryly pointed out, "In fact, it wasn't until king Maric allowed the Wardens to return that they settled a force in Ferelden again. And even then they were still seen with suspicion"

"Oh good, the humans will be looking at me weird because of my gear rather than my ears" The city elf droned, running a hand over his shaggy brown locks.

"You're just a bundle of positivity..."

"You will need all the help you can get" Leliana spoke up, taking a step forward with a hand clenched against her chest. "I would like to aid you"

Alistair and Marcus shared a surprised look, while Sofie looked at her with hesitation. "Are you sure Leliana?"

"Most definitely" The blue eyed redhead swore passionately.

The Revered Mother for her part just sighed tiredly, "Oh Leliana please tell me this isn't about your dream again..."

"It was no simple dream, Revered Mother," Leliana spoke with utter certainty; "The Maker told me to help stop the darkness coming." At that both Ser Bryant and Mother Servilia faintly groaned as they ran their hands over their faces.

Neria blinked for several moments; "The Maker... told you..."

"I knew we were missing something in our little troupe, the mad one..." Morrigan drawled in the driest tone, leaning against her staff.

Gin and Brianna only glanced wide eyed at one another. Leliana to her credit did not waver but gave an understanding look; "I know this sounds... strange." The look from both Marcus and Alistair spoke more than words. "But I know the Maker told me to help you stop the Blight, I saw it in a dream."

To her credit Sofie's expression remained neutral. While those around her were skeptic, visions were a serious thing in Tamriel. It was the reason her family was here after all. But still, "Leli, can you even fight?"

A small smile graced the pretty redhead's lips; "I wasn't always a lay sister you know." She peered over to Ser Bryant; "May I use your dagger please?"

Glancing over to Servilia who sighed but nodded, the Templar handed over his dagger that had rested beside his sword. Skeptic eyes turned to astonishment as the lay sister with both grace and speed moved the dagger around her hand and fingers.

The dagger slipped through her fingers in a steadfast throw, burying itself in the arc of the door, right above a Templar's helmeted head. The knight winced as he stared up at the dagger and then glared at the lay sister, who at least had the decency of looking sheepish.

"Not bad" Marcus nodded with appreciation, that throw wasn't the product of luck. She handled the dagger with great dexterity and could aim with great precision.

"You should see my bow skills" Leliana smiled warmly, "I have my weapons and gear still stored, so you won't even need to get me any. I promise you I can pull my weight; I'll be of great use to you in your righteous quest"

Morrigan rolled her eyes and made a gagging sound.

"Are you sure this is what you want, Leliana?" The Revered Mother asked in concern, "You said you wanted to make a better life here"

"I know. But it'd be a disservice to Andraste and the Maker if I didn't give my all to stop the Blight" There was conviction in her words, the kind you just couldn't shake off people. And the Revered Mother was beginning to understand there was no changing her mind.

"You are welcome to join us" Alistair assured her, "Can always use another weapon trailed at the Blighters"

The Revered Mother looked at the redhead in silence for a moment. "If you feel that is where you belong... Then I will pray for you"

Leliana gave the mother a short bow, "Thank you, Mother Servilia, I swear I will not forget the kindness you've shown me here"

The leading priestess gave her cordial nod in return, as Ser Bryant placed a fist to his armored chest. "Maker be with you all"

"We thank you, Revered Mother" With that, the group turned to leave. If not for one last point Sofie wanted to bring up.

"There is one last thing, Mother Servilia" The nord stood before the woman, arms crossed with a firm a gaze on her eyes. "The village will soon be left abandoned. So I want to take the Qunari under my custody"

Ser Bryant and Leliana gasped shortly, staring startled at the tall woman. The Revered Mother looked at the warrior as though she might have suddenly grown a second head. "I'm... sorry I must have misheard you" She chuckled nervously. "You said you want to take the Qunari with you?"

"Qunari?" Marcus mouthed to the lay sister, vaguely remembering seeing a towering man caged when they first passed through Lothering.

"He slaughtered a whole family" The redhead explained, much to the other's horror. "Sofie, why would you want him with you?"

"I agree" The noble said firmly, "If he's dangerous then we shouldn't take him with us"

"You haven't spoken to him like I have" Servilia remained skeptic as Sofie knelt down in front of her; "He is sincerely remorseful for what he had done. If he wasn't I would have slain him to save us all the trouble. Your faith like my own believes in redemption does it not?"

"It does... Are you truly certain of this?" The nord gave a nod, making the elder woman sigh tiredly. Her hand slowly reached for a small box on her desk. "Your deeds alone have spoken of your skill in combat. And I do trust your judgement... Very well." Opening the box she retrieved a steel key. "If you truly believe the Qunari is remorseful, I will let him be under your custody. To seek his penance for his crimes." Hesitantly she dropped the key into Sofie's hand; "But please be careful."

Sofie nodded before standing and turning to leave with the others. Leliana excused herself to go get her gear. Staying in the main hall Marcus looked to the Nordic woman; "You're really sure about this Qunari?"

"Yes."

Brianna shivered as she remembered the towering man in the cell; "That man looked like he could snap most of us in half." Neria also recalled the man as she paled at the sheer size of him.

However Sofie remained steadfast in her decision; "It will be fine."

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Sitting by the more sickly refugees within the village, Elder Miriam watched as Miara and Serana treated several people and made several potions with Marian Hawke. Close by Marian's sister Bethany tended to some bandages. "Sofie did say her mothers were different. Just didn't expect you both to come into this part of Lothering and start helping without so much being asked."

"Well it was either this or going into the temple" The hooded woman replied as she stirred a vial.

"Not a religious person huh?" Marian absently asked as she smashed a few elfroot into a cup. "Yeah, can't say I buy the whole Chantry spiel either"

There it was again, that 'something' that was bothering Miara. Like an itch on the back of her head. And yet the dunmer couldn't put her finger on it, there was just something about this young woman that made her feel strange.

"Where will your family go?" Miara finally asked, trying to take her mind off that weird sensation.

"Not sure, but we'll 'wing' it" The blue eyed young woman wiggled her eyebrows, and her sister let out a long suffering sigh. "Get it?"

Miara and Serana exchanged a confused look. "Get what?"

"It's a pun! You know, because my last name is Hawke, like the bird?"

Serana deadpanned, "Literally, this is the first time I heard your last name"

"Oh... My last name's Hawke by the way, nice to meet you"

"You were dropped on the head as a babe weren't you?"

Bethany honestly did not know if her older sister had been or not. She knew Marian had always been a _touch_ eccentric. And yes, she knew she was being polite when saying that. Mainly because Carver had a multitude of definitions regarding their elder sister.

A few being offensive.

Upon thinking of her twin Bethany had felt nothing but relief when he had returned home. Oh, it completely terrified her as it did their mother and Marian seeing him looking like death had warmed over and collapsed at the door of the house. But thankfully he only was suffering from exhaustion for which was being remedied with some sleep under mother's care at home.

And thank Andraste he wasn't tainted by the Darkspawn… She wasn't sure how mother, she, or Marian would handle that.

Dual barks caught their attention as the women turned and regarded Loke and Bran dashing towards their direction. Behind them was Sofie and company following, the Nordic woman gave her two mothers a grin.

"Um, Leli what's with the get up?" Marian spoke with a lifted brow.

It was then Miara and Serana notice the lay sister Leliana was with their group. And not dressed in robes of a priestess, but hard black and red leathers with an arm guard that extended only over her left arm, with a pair of curved daggers on her belt, and finally a quiver with arrows over her shoulder with a uniquely made bow in hand.

Okay… besides the fact Leliana looked utterly gorgeous in that get up, what was going on?

As Marcus and the others stopped in front of them, Sofie took notice the inquisitive gazes from her mothers, and the Hawke sisters. "Leli has decided to join us." The redhead gave a bright grin as she nodded happily.

"More to the party huh?" Serana commented, giving the redheaded archer a look over. Well, she definitely could see what Sofie saw in her at least.

"There's also one more who will… potentially join us" Their eldest daughter vaguely informed before walking away from the group, and much to the surprise of the Hawke sisters, marched directly in front of the Qunari in his cage, spinning a chain around her finger.

The Sten merely regarded the key and the nord with impassive eyes.

"Can set you free, big guy. I'm traveling with Grey Wardens" His violet eyes widened ever so slightly. "So we'll be fighting the Blight, perfect chance to get revenge for your comrades, and atonement"

The bronze giant remained silent for a moment, face so still it might as well be set on stone. Not a emotion or thought betraying his steely expression.

"Very well then" He finally conceded.

The Hawke sisters as well as a few nearby villagers gave the cage a wide berth as the tall muscular woman opened the door. The qunari stepped outside without a fuss, barely stretching, as though the time spent inside hardly stiffened his limbs at all.

"Gonna go buy you some armor for your size" Sofie said, "You stay, doubt the townsfolk will be very happy to see you up and around. Any weapon you prefer?"

"A greatsword will suffice" The qunari replied in his deep voice.

"Be back soon" The nord nodded to her mothers in passing, leaving her party to stare at the giant of a man in a tense silence.

It was the young Cousland who finally broke it. "So, Qunari" He put effort in recalling everything he had studied above the horned race of the north. "What's your title?"

"I am Sten of the Beresaad"

Huh, that was a high military rank if he remembered right, a platoon commander. Which meant this man was a seasoned and very powerful warrior.

"We'll be fighting against overwhelming odds, Sten" Marcus spoke firmly, crossing his armored arms across his chest. "So you'll be expected to pull your weight"

"Naturally" The qunari agreed.

"I'll be honest here, I'm not comfortable with your circumstances. But the woman who vouched for you, she's the daughter of someone I respect highly, so her word is enough for me"

Sten gave the noble a look over before shifting his eyes to the Wardens, specially observing the griffon iconography on their gear.

"Are you a Grey Warden?"

The question took him aback, "Ah, no actually. I am not"

"And yet you appear to lead this group. Surprising, I would have thought leadership was differed to the Wardens in times of the Blight"

"Yes, surprising isn't it?" Morrigan parroted with a mocking tone, sending Alistair a snide look. "After all, shouldn't you be in charge Alistair? You are the senior Warden of this party are you not?"

"Oh yes, by around half a year" He replied gruffly at the witch. Maker above he was already sick of her, it was like everything that came out of her mouth was either an insult or a sarcastic comment. "I know you wouldn't get it, living a damp swamp all your life, but that is not nearly enough time to have enough leadership experience. Much less to lead a party like this in the middle of a Blight"

"No offense to you Alistair, but I agree" The city elf spoke, "I'd rather have someone more experienced leading us to go through all this bullshit. Things are bad enough for us at is"

"Wait" It suddenly occurred to Marcus that this was how they all thought of him. "You believe I'm the leader?"

"You are the most experienced one amongst us in that role" Brianna pointed out. "And you know how to navigate the Ferelden political landscape, which will need with Loghain throwing slander and accusations at our feet"

"Neither Gin, Bri or I have any proper military experience" The elven mage added, "Fighting, that we can do. But I believe we're a long way from fully being capable of taking the decisions you've been taking"

Marcus felt he was only acting at the best of his ability to help the Wardens save his land, he hadn't meant to take a leadership position, but apparently it had fallen to him before he realized.

"That speech of yours to that wildling and the people there was very well done" Miara said in approval, "You were able to sooth them, even inspire them, when they were on the brink of desperation. That charisma is a powerful trait for any leader to have"

"Face it young man" Serana smirked underneath her hood. "You're a born leader"

Marcus only chuckled sheepishly under all that praise, but Miara had meant every word. They were lucky a capable man like him was leading this party. Oh sure, she had a lot of experience thanks to the Legion, but this wasn't her land, she knew very little about how things worked, and it just wasn't her place.

But she would advise, and do everything in her power to aid them.

Soon enough Sofie returned, hauling over her shoulder a set of armor in a bag, carrying in her free hand a large two handed sword. "Here you are big guy" She also gave him large yet simple line shirt to wear underneath the plate for more comfort

The qunari looked at the gear with that impassive gaze of his. "It will suffice"

As he put on the armor, Miara couldn't help but sneer. That was just decent cheap work at best. Give her an hour or so and she'd have master crafted something a hundred times better. But, she didn't have the tools nor the time right now, so the qunari would have to settle for that at the moment.

The chest plate was of simple design, two heavy pauldrons over his shoulders, forearm guard bracers along with plates for his thighs and knees. Effective yes, but the dunmer still imagined crafting a heavy suit of full plated armor for Sten, she had the feeling the qunari's fighting style was all about dealing and taking on damage.

He hefted the greatsword on his hand and gave a few practice swings, testing the weight. "Adequate"

"Don't worry big guy, my mom will suit you up with something nice when she has the time" Even her daughter agreed this armor wasn't enough for the towering man.

"So, you're leaving then" Marian spoke up as she cleaned her hands from the remains of elfroot.

Bethany stood next to her sister, looking at the former lay sister with sadness, "We'll miss you, Leliana. I don't think I'll find someone who sings as lovely as you do"

Leliana smiled at them and gave them a curt nod. "This is the path the Maker has set for me, so I must follow it"

"Take care" The elder Hawke gave them a smile so bright it could rival the sun, "Beat up those Blighters for me"

"We sure will" Alistair grinned, most members of their party gave them polite nods of farewell as they continued their journey.

Yet Miara remained behind for a moment, looking intently at the young woman. "I wish you and your family safe travels" She settled on saying, that 'something' that was bothering her again bubbling up to the forefront of her mind.

"Hey, maybe we'll see each other again!" Marian cheerfully said as she waved, "Good luck!" And soon departed with her sister to continue on their task of helping as much as they could before they left.

"Yeah… maybe we will…" The dunmer in disguise muttered to herself as she went on to rejoin the others.

They barely made it into the Imperial Highway when the shouts and pleads for help were heard, "Someone help us!"

Alistair's gaze shot up, "Darkspawn up ahead!" They rushed over the steps, and found a band of Darkspawn tearing through a merchant's card, miraculously, they had yet to kill a middle aged dwarf and his much more younger looking companion, who shivered in his arms as the older dwarf shielded him protectively.

The band wasn't more than six, so against a group as numerous and talented as theirs, they were quickly taken out. Leliana was quick to prove her own ability to the group by head shooting a Hurlock the moment she was in range. Sten nearly cleaved another hurlock in half diagonally.

Lighting and flame struck the genlocks of the party, while the rest that were at a safer distance were quickly impaled by sharp meter long ice stakes that burst from the ground.

Alistair observed the bodies, there wasn't an Alpha among them. "Scouting party, they already making reaching this part of the country…"

Leliana holstered her bow and broke into a sprint back to the village, "I'll inform the Revered Mother, tell her to speed up the evacuation!"

Miara turned to the dwarven pair, who looked at them with immense gratitude in their eyes. "Are you two okay?"

"Oh thank you, by the Stone thank you heroes!" The older dwarf praised them, joining his hands and shaking them vigorously. "You saved me and my son" He nudged the younger dwarf, "Say thank you, Sandal"

"Thank you" He said curtly but no less sincerely. His mannerism was a bit odd, his gaze a little unfocused, his weirdly cheerful facial expressions, all rather strange for a boy his age. It reminded Miara of some late-life children she had seen before, who were born lacking social faculties or even wit. Complications in their development during the womb or early childhood that stunt the development of their minds.

"My name is Bodahn Feddic" The bearded dwarf introduced himself with a short bow, the multiple braids on his beard swaying as he did so. "And this is my son Sandal" He placed a hand on the boy, who still continued looking at them without saying a word.

Neria smiled sincerely, "We were happy to help"

"You're Wardens I see" The dwarf pointed out, looking at the griffon symbols on their armor. "You must be traveling to stop the Blight"

"That's our intent" Alistair promised.

"I wish there were more brave individuals like you. Oh please!" He suddenly perked up, waving at one of his undamaged crates. "Let me reward you with some of my wares!"

"That's not necessary" Gin spoke up, raising a hand. "We didn't do this for a reward"

"Oh joy" Morrigan snorted, "So this is what our travels will consist of I see, randomly saving hapless fools, perhaps rescue a kitten or two"

Marcus stepped forward, ignoring the witch. "Keep your wares, you'll be needing everything you can get your hands on after the 'Spawn already trashed some of your things" He said, looking at the broken crates with squashed food"

"Yes, yes I can't deny that…" Bodahn gave them one last look of gratitude. "Well, I wish you fortune on your travels. Come son, let's salvage what we can" His son gave a small skip as he joined his father in collecting everything that wasn't broken.

"Let me help" Miara offered, inspecting the broken cart, Sofie, Serana and Neria joined her in her efforts to fix the vehicle. "We still have to wait for Leliana"

Brianna let out a long sigh, "It's gonna be a long journey to Denerim. I just hope the nobles are smart enough to not buy into Loghain's lies"

"In my experience, most shem nobles are not" Gin said cynically before giving Marcus an apologetic look. "Present company excluded"

Marcus shrugged, "The agendas of many a noble can be a fickle thing"

Sten grunted in disapproval. "I do not understand how the nobility of these lands can be so divided"

"But, they have to listen to us right?" Neria asked with trepidation. "The Blight threatens us all, surely all the allies we intent to recruit will do the reasonable thing and help us?"

Then, Miara burst out laughing, it was a long, very hysterical laugh. As though she had just heard the funniest joke in her life. "HAHAHAHAHA! No" She abruptly cut the laugh short, her tone once filled with mirth now replaced by an annoyed edge. "No they will not"

Serana rolled her eyes with a sigh, she had to go with Miara on this one. After the whole mess that was Skyrim with the Dragon Crisis, she knew better than to expect people to actually act logically when certain doom was upon them.

"That is rather cynical" Neria, bless her, still held on to hope. "I'm sure we won't run into any more major complications"

Apparently, fate had taken that as a direct challenge, for Miara's communication ring began to shine. She opened the link and answered. "Hello?"

" _Mom!_ " It was Sarya, their youngest daughter sounded harried. " _Something's happening here with dalish clans, I'm doing all I can to help them but I don't think it'll be enough. If they don't receive aid soon, I fear they will be destroyed_ "

Miara slowly gave Neria a very dry look, the younger elf merely slouched sheepishly under her gaze. "You were saying?"

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 _ **Hope you enjoy!**_


	14. Blood and fang: Act I

_**Disclaimer**_ : We do not own Dragon age and Elder Scrolls series

 _ **Co-Author and Beta**_ : Etheral-23

 **Blood and fang: Act I**

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The night sky shone brilliantly with the stars and moons above as the Dovahkiin and company settled into camp. Taking a place a good distance away from the Imperial Highway, they settled in a large clearing with several tents and campfires going. Yet despite the calm from the heavens above, it was tense down below.

Sten's gaze mostly lingered upon the ruby scale dragon for whom Miara introduced to him and Leliana to a few days after they started their emergency journey to the Dalish camps. The towering man showed neither shock nor surprise, but stood ready for combat along with Leliana when Odahviing flew down to them days ago. Which was quickly quelled as the three ladies from Tamriel explained the dragon was family to them.

Testament to Qunari discipline, the man's brow only rose as the great dragon had also spoke back. ' _This joor smells… different, but seems competent for battle at the very least._ ' The beautiful redhead only gawked for the longest time.

Odahviing rested closely near the grey skinned elf (Another thing she summarized to the now former lay-sister and Qunari), Sofie, and Serana who sat on a log near the main campfire. His draconian blues gazed with vague interest as Marcus sat opposite of them with Neria beside him, both had their hounds resting close. Gin sat on a large rock near the group with Alistair rested on another log by the fire.

Leliana sat near Sofie as she listened to the ongoing argument that had been going on between Miara and Marcus since leaving Lothering.

"I am not saying we should ignore the dalish's plea for aid. But we cannot ignore the fact that while we're otherwise busy in the Brecilian forest, the Landsmeet shall pass us by before we can meet with the nobility and present our case, Loghain would have already poured poison down their ears"

"And I keep telling you" Sofie's mother replied in a clipped frustrated tone. "There is nothing we can do about it. If we do not act now, we will lose an entire fighting force that can help us stop the Blight"

"This is why you should go to the dalish" Marcus argued, "While I travel to Denerim and speak to the Landsmeet"

"Out of the question" The dunmer staunchly refused. "We don't know how far Howe's reach extends. Traveling alone to Denerim might as well mean your death"

The Cousland scoffed, pacing before the glow of the campfire. His armor neatly arranged next to his leather sleeping blanket, he crossed his arms over his linen shirt before slowly rubbing a stubble chin. "Either we lose the dalish, or potentially lose support from the nobility"

Leliana saw Neria shift uncomfortably from her seat in front of the fire, "Will all the nobility believe Loghain's words?"

"I highly doubt all would" It was Alistair who intervened as he sharpened his sword with a whetstone. "I know for a fact Arl Eamon will never accept his excuses"

"Our son Oryrn sent us the message that this Eamon had already departed for Denerim" Serana spoke up, momentarily stopping her task of running an inventory check on all their potions. "If he is the kind of man you say he is, we might still have an ally among them"

Marcus let out a sigh, "At least we know Eamon will stand up to Loghain's madness" He tiredly ran a hand over his face. "Alright... alright, the dalish are our next priority then. We'll deal with Loghain later"

The young noble glanced over to Morrigan's more private tent away from the rest with her campfire before sitting by Neria again. "It's like everything is going crazy at once." He murmured as he stared into the fire. The elven mage at his side offered a calming pat on his shoulder.

Brianna, who had been reading some Tamriel tomes near Gin at the bottom of the boulder raised her head; "Least we have plenty of silver since your other daughter said she and the Dalish were fending off werewolves of all things."

"Sarya" The dunmer confirmed, "Dalish mages and their warriors are doing what they can against them. But the were-beasts have been relentless." Miara stated as she drank some water. "She has a barrier put up, but it can only do so much. And my youngest daughter doesn't call for help unless it is something she knows she can't handle alone."

"...Never thought I'd ever meet the Dalish," Neria whispered with a fidget petting Bran's head.

Gin glanced towards his fellow elf; "You know they are not too fond of outsiders. Unless a City elf wants to join them, we're kind of seen just as bad as Shem... No offense." The young elf spoke quickly to every human around them.

Alistair waved it off still working on his sword; "A few Dalish joined the Grey Wardens, heard a few things from them. Sometimes I think the Dalish have the right idea living in the forest and off the land."

"Ahhh yes, I know how that is. Me and my family lived like that for a time" Miara smiled peacefully as she sat next to her beloved, who finally put away the last of their potions in their satchels, and cuddled up with her before the fire. "Just you, your family and nature. The peace and quiet away from the buzz of civilization and danger..." She sighed contently, "Gods I hated every single minute of it"

"Not how I thought that phrase would turn out" Brianna muttered to herself.

"Oh I just couldn't stand it!" The elf laid her head on her lover's shoulder. "It was always so boring; all I could think about every day was how much I really wanted to kill something..."

"Simple life was not for you huh?" Alistair dryly said as he uncorked his water sack.

"Not even a little bit" Serana quipped. "This woman lives by the sword and she will die by it... Well, I say that, but this woman is hard to put down. And believe me, I tried"

"Are you..." Neria slowly said, "talking hyperbole or...?"

"Oh no, literally I tried to kill her back when we first met" She said fondly as she placed an arm around Miara who smiled fondly in remembrance.

The city elf gave them a long look, "Right, should expect answers like that by now. Anyway" He tried to switch the subject to something probably less crazy. "Werewolves" As soon as he said it, he realized the subject wouldn't be any less insane. "That's an old Ferelden legend. I have no idea what we're up against"

"Well you're in luck my tiny friend" Sofie smirked at him, ignoring the indignant reply from Gin. "We in Tamriel have experience fighting were-creatures"

Leliana turned her gaze towards Marcus; "Wasn't it your ancestor who fought against were-beasts?"

"It's how my family became teyrnirs. Haelia Cousland banded everyone together and fought them in the Black Age. She was never sure if all perished or not." Marcus gazed down to his family's sword once held by Haelia then shifted towards Sofie; "Tamriel has dealt with Were-beasts?"

Sofie nodded; "Still do, Werewolves, Werebears, Werelions... some legends speak of Weresharks and other beasts. But the most known and encountered are first three I mentioned."

"Are Were-beasts encountered where you're from Sten?" Miara questioned as she turned her head over to the Qunari who was cleaning his armor.

"Minor sightings."

And that was all the stoic man would say before resuming his work. Leliana shook her head; "Are those actually real? Werebears and Werelions?"

"They are." All three ladies of Tamriel chorused. "Serana and I had fought least a dozen werebears in Solstheim," the dunmer grumped.

As everyone took in what they heard Serana had stared into the fire for a minute; "Has Thedas ever had vampires?"

Miara narrowed her gaze, "Serana..." She said warningly. The elf's beloved merely replied with a look of her own. Right, this wasn't something that they'd be able to keep hidden for long. And it'd only hurt in the long run the longer they keep it secret.

"That's a very old legend" Neria replied, recalling the various lore books she had read on the matter. "It varies from land to land. Most say vampires are just a type of lich that achieved their state through blood magic, an undead subtype really. Nowadays the Circles believe that vampires could been just some Abominations that shared similar characteristics"

"Some study groups in the Circle theorize the accounts of 'vampires' in lore" Brianna continued, "are due to old blood mages having been able to extend their lives to unnatural lengths through blood sacrifice, originally by means of blood consumption"

The nord pursed her lips, slowly exhaling through her nostrils, all the while her beloved and daughter observed her carefully. "Yeah, that's not off the mark really. We have vampires in Tamriel, you see"

"You do?" The human mage said in surprise, her black locks swaying wildly with the sharp turn of her head. "My, your lands sound more fascinating by the second. And here I thought the talking dragon already set the highest bar possible, no offense big guy"

The red dragon merely grunted content with resting not too far from the camp.

"You see, vampires are a type of undead. People can become vampires through contacting a disease carried in the vampire's blood"

"Oh..." Neria balked in mild horror. "The legends spoke about vampires enthralling people but... nothing about them turning others into more of their kind"

"Well, that's something they can do..." The nord very carefully said, measuring her next words. "Or rather... WE can do"

A pause gripped the area as all eyes around her slowly turned towards her with a chill growing in the air. Sten's hand slowly gripped the hilt of his blade. He soon took note of Odahviing's head being up and peering straight at him. "Gin," the city elf froze as the Nordic woman peered over to him. "When we first met in Denerim, what did you notice about my smile?"

Like he could ever forget...

"…Y-you grew fangs..."

"Also. Want to know 'who' put everyone to sleep at Vaughn's home and slaughtered the wretched pig and his friends for what they were going to do to Shianni and the others?"

"THAT WAS YOU!?" Gin's normal calm demeanor broke in a blink as he pointed at the vampiric woman.

It was then everyone took notice of Serana's eyes. Since they had met they had been green, but now... they bore an orange-red hue as she gave an apologetic look; "Sorry 'bout scaring those girls. I've always hated rapists and can't stop myself from tearing them apart."

"Ra- You're a vampire! The walking undead!" Alistair outright screamed as he gripped his sword. Leliana looked ready to grab her bow with a fearful gaze in her eyes

"And here I'd at least thought my two 'fellow' Thedosian mages would have figured that out." All eyes shifted over to Morrigan who now leaned against a tree. "I had thought Kinloch Hold taught their indoctrinated on how to sniff out undead." Brianna and Neria gave the woman a heated glare. "You hide it well by the way Serana. But the smell of death is not easy to mask."

"Your mother and the wilds taught you well." Serana quipped dryly as she now peered at the fearful bunch; "I am vampire. I have been one for a very, very long time. I figured now was the best time to be honest with it. Since we're all fighting as a group."

The drawing of a blade caught their attention; Sten stood a good distance away from the now revealed vampire with a wary look in his eyes. The rest didn't know if they should either run or fight, the sudden revelation about their companion being such a creature was frightening. If Serana was such a dangerous being, one who feasted on others through such vile means then...

Heavy stomps echoed in the night, and the growling visage of Odahviing became ever near. The great dragon's spike of aggression was born out of protectiveness.

"Peace, peace" Serana raised her hand, trying to stop the situation from escalating out of control. "I don't hurt innocent people, and the only blood I drink is that from those willing, or from the truly wicked who deserve to die"

Neria slowly shook her head, "Does that make it okay? Serana you just admitted you're a very dangerous... person" The others got the impression she wanted to say something like 'creature'.

"We're all dangerous, dear" Miara merely shrugged, "I can grind people to dust with my Voice. You can set someone's head on fire with a thought. Gin can stab you and you'll likely never see it coming. And Sten, well, we all heard what Sten did..."

The qunari let out a very soft yet rumbling growl.

"They taught you to fear the unknown, _children_ " The vampire spoke, her voice gaining a serious edge. "This is what I am, who I am. We cannot help our nature sometimes, but we can learn control, discipline. Know right from wrong"

"And what possibly compelled you to become a vampire?" Marcus question with an edge of his own. His voice rousing both Loke and Bran.

Serana gazed at the young man who impressively kept his composure. "I was once a devote to the Daedric Prince Molag Bal. Or rather, my entire family was. I was a much different person many, many years ago. While yes, I truly despise and loathe _how_ I became undead. I don't regret _being_ undead."

She would have never met Miara had she not become a vampire.

"And before any of you say anything," Sofie soon addressed as she now stood; "Not once since I was seven years old has my mother Serana ever bit or harmed me. She and Miara took me in when I had nothing, so if any of you wants to be stupid and try to harm her, it's not my mother Miara and Odahviing you should worry about."

The atmosphere was tense around the others save Morrigan; "I for one have no desire to die young. Moreover, I know better than to enrage my betters. And if the rest of you are so ingrained of what the Chantry or Qun taught to be fearful of something different by all means try attacking them." The young witch remained where she was as she observed everyone.

"If you are uncomfortable with my mother's nature" Sofie retorted once more, "We can just leave, but just a head's up, we'll be taking my 'uncle' with us"

Odahviing let out a growling sound that sounded a lot like laughter.

The young Wardens looked amongst themselves with uncertainty; they had clearly offended their allies with their outburst at the revelation of Serana's vampiric status. Such that for a moment they had forgotten all the woman had done for them, fighting against the Darkspawn in Ostagar, healing them after being gravely wounded. She and her family had been nothing but helpful to them in times of need, now more than ever with so many odds stacked against them.

They had accepted Miara's nature as a dragon (even if some still did not fully understand the implications of such), what was an undead amongst their ranks compared to that?

A Blight wasn't a time to be picky about your allies.

"Perhaps..." Marcus tactfully spoke, "We were rash in our assessment. Forgive us, Serana"

"I'm... sorry too" Neria remorsefully hung her head in shame, "It's just, the world outside the Tower isn't anything like I would have thought. I guess it was simpler to look at things in black and white"

"You saved Shianni and the others from those disgusting shems." Gin bowed his head respectfully, "So I'm indebted to you"

"Oh" The nord woman just waved off their words with a polite grin, "Trust me, I get it. I wouldn't trust another vampire. We are very dangerous beings after all. I'm just one of the few that chooses not to be an ass"

"Now if your mother could bother to learn by your example." Miara's off handed comment earned her a smack on the arm by her lover. "It's true."

Serana only glowered; "She has gotten better," she let out a mild huff. Her eyes soon peered onto Sten who sheathed his weapon, albeit hesitantly. "I imagine my actions will speak louder than words to you." The Qunari gave a slow nod; "Then I shall endeavor to earn your trust Sten."

"...We shall see." Sitting back down the man resumed his work, but kept an eye on the Tamriel group.

Odahviing grunted as he lay back down; "And here I thought I would have an evening snack."

"...He's joking right?" Gin questioned again seeing the dragon grin (again) at him.

Sofie ran her hand over her face as she sat back down; "Go ask him."

"No thank you!"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Well, today... okay the last few days had been a little crazy, far as Alistair was concerned. What with the talking dragon and walking undead in their group, things had gotten tense back there but... well; he wanted to think they have solved the issue before it became a problem down the line.

Nothing a good piece of roasted rabbit couldn't solve. He placed the cooked meat between two slices of bread and a piece of cheese for the final touch. Taking a strong bite he felt the flavor of the meat mesh perfectly well with the cheese as it melted with its heat. Ah yes, had to be thankful with the Orlesians for making such fine cheese if anything.

He munched his meal with wanton abandon, oh he could just hear lady Isolde complaining about his horrible table manners if she saw him, ignoring the fact they were far away from civilization and the concept of 'table manners' was something nobles invented to feel superior to everyone.

"I have to ask" With a mouth full, he turned to the dunmer who walked up to him from being over to Odahviing. "Is that appetite a Warden thing? I'm asking cause, well..." She gave a dry look at the other three Wardens, who were devouring their meal with great speed, consuming a far larger amount than what people their size would.

Gulping down a bit of her own food, with the help of some water, Brianna leaned a bit forward; "I had noticed that I've been a tab more hungry than normal. Hope it won't ruin my figure." she murmured to herself.

Despite the fact Gin, Neria, and Miara heard her thanks to their ears; "Goes to your breasts anyways." Neria Quipped before she froze in mid-bite. "…D-Did I just say that out loud?" Her ears dipped as her eyes glanced over to her side at the sight of blushing twitching glare from her longtime friend.

Gin only ate quietly with a faint red on his cheeks along with Alistair.

"I have to say they are nearly as big as my own, but we're going off topic." Miara shrugged before giving a pointed look to the former Templar.

"Well." the young man cleared his throat composing himself; "It is a side-effect of taking in the Taint. There are some others I should tell you three of." Bri, Neria, and Gin soon gave Alistair their attention along with Miara; "Well, no way I can make this delicate. You will have Bad dreams and infertility."

At that last portion the trio froze. "We're inferetil?!" Brianna nearly yelled, gaining the others attention around the camp.

"W-well, it will be harder to have children. Not to say some members have not had any after the Joining." Alistair stressed as he addressed her quickly

"Goodness..." Leliana muttered, feeling bad for her companions. The thought of raising a family had never crossed her mine herself, but still, robbing people of the possibility was a terrible thing.

"I... okay" The dark tanned elf slowly said, her gaze becoming downcast. "Let me just... process that for a moment"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have dropped that on you so bluntly" The senior Warden spoke with regret. Tsk, he and his big mouth, he should have been more tactful about it. "But, it's something you have to know"

Neria honestly did not know how to feel about it. Brianna on the other hand...

"Not that it makes any difference for us" The human mage shook her head, "We're mages, Neria. We were never going have a family; the Templars wouldn't have allowed it"

"You are very cynical about it" Miara commented.

"Well that is how things work in Thedas. If a couple of mages mess it up and get pregnant, then the child is immediately taken away. One way or another, the concept of rising a family is simply impossible for us mages" She sounded like she was just stating facts. "And we're Wardens now; I don't think that leaves much room for a family"

"Hey, our lives are extremely hectic and we made it work" Serana pointed out.

"The point is academic anyway" Brianna replied. "Decreased fertility sees to that"

Neria's ears dipped ever so slightly, "I guess so..." She said before turning to her fellow elf. "What are your thoughts on the matter, Gin?"

The city elf merely looked at the camp fire with an unreadable expression, "Hmph"

Well, that was that...

Brianna wanted to move on from the somber subject, and fast. "Now, you said something about bad dreams? 'Cause I gotta tell you, we mages already have enough with demons tempting us"

Better to be straight forward about all of it he supposed. "You'll be having nightmares about the Darkspawn. They vary but most are usually the same. They're not pleasant, trust me on that." His voice haunted as still recalled his first few.

"Taking in the Taint, it connected you to those beasts didn't it?" Serana questioned sipping a small bottle. By the surprised expression from the young man she was right; "I'm an alchemist, one of the best out of three in Skyrim. When Duncan told you to get Darkspawn blood it may me wonder. 'Why do they need blood from those blighted creatures?'"

And she had figured out the rest that quickly? Well any Alchemist worth their grain of salt likely could if they heard about retrieving Darkspawn blood for the Joining. Alistair gave a resigning nod; "Indeed, it is how we can sense them around. But that is a double-edged sword since they sense us too."

Sofie shook her head beside Marcus who was in thought. "Any more bad news about being a Grey Warden?" The nord asked petting a slumbering Loke's head.

"Just... One more." The man gravely murmured before looking to the new Wardens. "Despite our measures in the Joining, we are still taking in Darkspawn taint. So our life expectancy is not very high..." By those words he had everyone's full and complete attention.

Gin, Neria, and Brianna's eyes did not blink for a moment.

"Unless you die in battle, you have thirty years... By then, well, you've seen the ghouls in Ostagar."

It took a moment for the newly minted Wardens to properly process his words.

"You're fucking kidding me" Gin muttered in disbelief, his green eyes alit with outrage. "Being a Warden is a death sentences every step of the way then. If it's not the Joining, or the Spawn, it's the Taint still in your veins that will do you in..."

"Thirty years?" The elven mage said disheartened. "I'm... still in my early twenties, you mean to tell me I won't even reach..." She couldn't even finish her words. Brianna held her hand tightly.

"I'm sorry" It was all the senior Warden could say.

The camp fell silent, Sofie's lips pursed in displeasure at the news while Leliana covered her mouth in shock. Miara shared an uneasy look with her lover. Time had little grasp on them due to their natures, but they were still very much aware of how its passage still affected mortals greatly.

It was hard not to sympathize with the young Wardens. They had just been told their days were numbered, even if it was decades from now. Few could cope with such knowledge.

"Hmph" A loud snort came from Odahviing, and Miara prayed to Akatosh he wouldn't say something stupid. "Mortals always hold their mortality at the forefront of their minds" It wasn't mockery in his tone, but actual mindful insight. "How can you even live like that is... beyond me"

He had tasted that one blasphemous Shout at the hands of his dear sister, back when they met as foes. The mortality, the finite existence that mortals experienced, it had hit him with such force his body gave up, his wings couldn't flap, the sheer pain that struck his soul...

Mortality was something truly alien to the dov. Odahviing saw it as a cruelty imposed by the gods, but he could not deny that having experienced a taste of that mortality from that terrifying Shout, he now understood how the joore thought, and the reasons behind their actions.

"Thirty years is an entire lifetime for a warrior" He continued. "Many fall in battle within the decade. Countless fighters do not even make it beyond the first year. And droves of them perish in their first battle" He rested his head on the ground. "Why concern yourself with how many years you have left, when each second in the battlefield might very well be your last?"

Sten of all people remarked as he ate his food close by them. "The Ataashi speaks correctly."

"Ataashi?" Miara and Serana queried with dual cocked brows. Even Odahviing appeared mildly curious.

"Our word for Dragon." After that the large man grew silent once more.

Hmm, the Dunmer actually liked that. She turned her gaze to the new Wardens; "As my Zeymah said. Don't focus on what may happen. Focus on the now."

Despite the forlorn upon Neria's face she gave a nod before resting her head on Brianna's shoulder. Her expression was the same as she soon held her friend in a hug. Gin rose from where he was; "Please excuse me." He uttered before leaving the group to gather his thoughts.

Well, suffice to say nobody was feeling hungry anymore...

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Some of the members of their party had already turned in for the night, Neria, Gin and Brianna in particular. Miara just hoped those nightmares that would afflict them wouldn't be so bad. Marcus was slipping inside his bedroll, biding the others a good rest.

Sten remained vigilant, it was his turn to take watch. Miara still felt very apprehensive regarding the qunari's presence in their group, Sofie vouched for him, which was enough for her. But still, to hear how he had murdered an entire family of farmers, children including... The dunmer had done horrible things in her life, but some things were sacred. If he truly wanted atonement, he would prove it with his actions. Fitting, as Sten seemed to be a man of very few words.

Finally her eyes settled on Alistair, his gaze lost as he stared up at the heavenly lit skies, she could pick up his mouths moving slightly, but the words he uttered were too low for her elven ears to hear.

"I believe he is praying" The musical voice of the redhead her daughter was so fond of spoke, Leliana had walked up to the dunmer as the two looked at the senior Warden. "He lost nearly all his brothers and sisters of the Order at Ostagar, I cannot imagine what that must be like. I hope the Maker can offer him some comfort"

"He did mention they were more like family to him than those in the Templar order." The dark elf recalled a small conversation with the young man on the imperial road to the Dalish. Thus her feet moved before realizing she had walked over to the Warden as he sat on his bedroll; "How are you?"

Alistair turned his gaze to the Dragonborn who took a seat on the grass in front of him. "Well...Bit shameful for a man to still be like this isn't it?"

"Mourning for those you have lost is never shameful." Her tone maternal and full of understanding.

"Heh, got along so much better with them than with the Templars." The young man chuckled before staring at the ground; "They should be here. Not me." the very moment he spoke those words Miara's hand came across his cheek. He barely realized he was slapped before too long the sting came in. Not even the mothers in the Chantry hit him that hard!

He blinked in surprise at the sight of Miara's stern crimson gaze; "Don't you ever disrespect their sacrifice in such a way. Am I understood?" Alistair quickly nodded with no rebuke, holding his cheek as her eyes grew soft again as did her voice; "They fully understood the risks, Duncan most of all. He entrusted you to handle the rest as they held the line. Is it fair, no. But you must press forward to honor their memory and sacrifice they made was not in vain." Leaning forward Alistair froze before a warm glow came from the elf's hand. His bruised cheek now faded as if it was never there.

"Thanks" He tenderly touched his previously sore cheek. "I just... I can't help but think I could have done something. Maybe if I had been there at his side..."

"Then it's most likely you would have died too" Miara said, "Trust me Alistair, if you keep thinking 'what if' you'll drive yourself crazy" Regrets were a trap that once it got a hold of you, they would never let go.

The young man let out a soft sigh. The sadness still present in his eyes.

"He meant a lot to you" The dunmer gently said.

"Was pretty much the only person who ever asked me what I wanted" He let out a tiny snort, "Grew up a stable boy in Redcliffe. No parents. Nothing. You know how that is, most people in that situation can only aspire to be a servant for life. I was luckier than most I guess, Arl Eamon showed me kindness, gave me an education. Drove his wife mad with suspicion because she kept thinking I was perhaps his bastard"

"Hmm... are you?" It was a legitimate question in Miara's opinion.

"Pfft, no" He laughed out. "Both my parents were servants of his, my mother a maid, my dad a stable hand. But he had been fond of them, always said they were good and kind people. So he saw it fit to take me in... Didn't stop Lady Isolde from suspecting though. Maker" He scratched his cheek. "That woman wielded her tongue and foul mood like a weapon"

"Sounds like delightful company" Miara deadpanned recalling a very people like that.

"Perhaps after a few drinks she is" The Warden quipped, garnering a chuckle from the elf. "But, it got to the point he saw fit to send me to the Chantry to be trained under the Templars"

"Ah" The picture he painted was beginning to come together. "You didn't like it"

"Wouldn't have been my first choice" He admitted in a blank tone, "Don't get me wrong, I believe in the Maker, I say my prayers. But that kind of life... it just wasn't for me"

"You found your calling, not many get that;" Miara bemused as she crossed her arms under her bust. "From what I've learn of your Templars they are very different from my son and those back in Tamriel."

Alistair smirked; "Have to tell me some time about them."

The elf gave a nod with a grin before mulling over how to ask something; "Can you tell me about Duncan?"

A small pang gleamed in the boy's eyes; "He did not tell me much about his life, he was a boy who was a thief on the streets in Orlais to survive. Killed a man and was going to be executed if not for the late Warden Commander Genevieve. Felt there was more to it but never pressed." Alistair paused; "Stern but fair, kind when needed to be. Rarely if ever did he raise his voice in anger." He chuckled; "Templar martial training might be the best, but Duncan could defeat any Templar on a _bad_ day."

Part of that Miara could tell he was bragging, but not all of it. There was a great deal of experience that shone in Duncan's eyes. He was good enough to sense Serana in the shadows in Denerim as her lover had told her. And skill to detect both Serana in stealth was nothing to sneeze at.

"I think he would be proud" She said, words filled with kindness. "That you young brave Wardens will carry out your duty to the end, against all odds"

"Thank you" He said sincerely, "It feels good to have someone to talk about him"

The gave a nod "Whenever you need an ear, I'm always available"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Leliana watched as Miara and Alistair had parted ways, the Warden appeared much more at ease. Like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Your mother is a kind woman" The redhead said, sitting next to Sofie in front of the former lay-sister's tent.

"She's a mother" Sofie merely shrugged, "She knows when to apply a strong hand and when a gentle one is needed"

"Mothers are wise indeed" Leliana said with respect, a smile tugging at her lips.

"They're the best I could ask for" The nord smiled, giving her mothers' a small nod, biding them goodnight as they entered their tent. A comfortable silence hung between them, before Sofie broke it. "You can go to sleep now, my shift comes after Sten's so..."

"Its fine" Leliana gently said, "I like spending time with you"

"Ah" The nord really thanked it was dark enough that the redhead couldn't make out her cheeks reddening. "I feel the same, you're a wonderful conversationalist"

"Well" Leliana not so humbly smiled, "Something I picked with my travels you could say"

"Hmm" That did bring up some questions the nord had been meaning to ask her, "Can I ask you something, Leli?"

"Of course"

"Where did you learn to fight like that?"

Her smile dropped, and her blue eyes widened slightly. "Oh. It is... a long story." There was a touch of shame in her voice.

Sofie felt like kicking herself at seeing the look from the beautiful redhead's eyes to the ground. "Sorry, that was probably too soon to ask."

At that Leli shook her head; "It's fine... Just this is not something I like talking about too much." Or at all honestly. But having had gotten to know Sofie when she had been in Lothering weeks prior. Knowing the kind of woman she is. Maybe she could say a little. "I'm... A Bard."

For a minute it was quiet between them till a cock of the head and brow from the Nordic woman; "Can you elaborate please?"

Leliana's cheeks became flushed; "Oh sorry. I am, or was an Orlesian Bard, I was an assassin."

Sofie's expression swiftly shifted from surprise to incredulity, her eyes wondered a moment as if trying to find the clues that would piece together what Leliana had just confessed before finally settling on the redhead once more. "Really? Those are professions that usually don't go together. That and I'm having a hard time picturing you as one"

"Heh, well" The Orlesian softly smiled, "That means I haven't lost my touch then" Her smile wavered a bit. "In all honestly, you wouldn't recognize the person I used to be" Her lips pursed in shame, "I... honestly wasn't sure if to tell you this. I haven't known you for long, but I know you're a kind person I can trust" Her actions in Lothering proved the sort of character Sofie possessed. "I didn't want you to think ill of me..."

"I argued for the man who butchered a family to be in our party" The nord argued, thrusting her chin Sten's direction, the qunari standing ever vigilant at his post. "You really think I'd care about your past? Besides, you wouldn't have been a sister in that small town if you still followed that path"

Immense relief washed over her, Leliana let out her worries with a long dragged out sigh. "Thank you, it means a lot to me"

Sofie smiled that wonderful smile of hers, resting her hand upon Leliana's in a comforting gesture. Leliana told herself her stomach was flipping around because the rabbit she ate must have had something that didn't agree with her.

"So, assassin bard huh?" The nord arched an eyebrow. "That's an Orlesian profession I bet"

"Indeed" Leliana nodded, "Orlesian bards are not just minstrels, and we are agents in the great Game of intrigue. We are employed to do many things. We distract people with our songs and tales, spread rumors that can tarnish someone's name, plant evidence that will destroy a noble's reputation, sabotage their business so they don't have coin to back up their status, or even poison their drinks or bury our blades when their back is turned"

Sofie took it all in stride, "Government sanctioned rogues then? We have a few of those back home, the Great Houses of Morrowind employ assassins called the Morag Tong"

"Nothing so formal. There is no 'official' stance on us Bards, they been part of Orlais politics for a very long time"

Hmm, so something that has simply been a part of Orlais culture. More she learns about her pretty friend's nation the more it sounded much like High Rock. Still, "Thank you for trusting me about some of your past."

"I only ever shared it with Mother Servilia when coming to Lothering. I was grateful of her open mindedness and giving me a chance." Leli sighed with a small smile. "I'll never forget my time there."

"And it seemed to have done you some good. But I still want to ask, are you sure you want to be fighting again?"

The Bard nodded; "This way my talents will do more good than they ever did in my time in Orlais." Hearing the resolve in her voice was all that Sofie needed to hear.

"Alright," she gave a pat on Leli's shoulder before standing and grabbing her sword; "My turn for watch duty. Get some sleep."

* * *

 **XxX ~ the next day ~ XxX**

* * *

Odahviing kept to the skies above as the group has resumed their sojourn to the Dalish camps. It had been an hour before Marcus took note of the familiar landscape of the vast Brecilian forest. The steps of Miara, Serana, and Sofie quickened as they left the Imperial highway.

The thought of Sarya being in trouble worried the trio immensely. Part of it was fear out of what could happen to her, but most of their concerns were what would happen if Sarya was pushed against the wall. Collateral damage wasn't in that girl's vocabulary.

"Well the forest is still here" Sofie voiced her opinion, "That's a good sign right?"

"Give it time" Serana deadpanned.

The younger Wardens were in much different spirits, Neria for her part felt a smile growing on her face. "I can't believe we're meeting the dalish. It'd be the first time I ever meet one, much less an entire clan!"

"I only saw a few dalish once, almost a year ago, back when a clan passed through the Denerim to trade" Gin said, "They just looked so... free" They did not carry that same aura of defeat so many elves in the alienage had. "They took someone from the alienage, Pol, who wanted to go with them and become a dalish" He mused, "Hope that life is treating him better"

For his part, the city elf felt he needed to see the dalish for himself. Miara's stories were not enough for him to picture, to actually believe elves could have a better life. Joining the Dalish was the dream of many a city elf and he'd be lying if he said it hadn't crossed his mind at times. Just, run away from it all, wonder through the wilderness unbound, without human masters that would rule over him...

Shianni's ever warm and loving smile flashed in his mind.

He could never abandon her or his family... And he doubted the Dalish would take all of them in. He pushed those thoughts aside as he and the others roamed inside the forest; "How exactly do we find the Dalish?"

At the very moment he spoke those words numerous figures leapt down from the trees while others rose from thick bushes. All with arrows drawn at them, surrounding them.

"Never mind." The group grew tense but did not draw their weapons to cause trouble. Loke and Bran growled near their respected masters.

Mithra and Fenarel came from behind large trees, the female warrior and huntress was about to address the group till she and everyone took notice of the grey skinned elven woman striding up to them. Not caring for a moment of the arrows pointed her way, though lowering now upon seeing her.

Miara stopped in front of the two; "Where is my daughter?" Fenarel had to admit this woman was VERY different compared to Sarya. And rather intimidating quite frankly as her crimson eyes bore into both of them.

The hunter stared at her for a second, "I'll take a guess and assume you're Sarya's mother" He dryly said. He motioned for the hunters to lower their bows, which they did according.

"WE are" Serana intoned strongly, standing next to beloved with her arms crossed, firmly looking down at the much shorter man.

"I see..." His tone clearly stated he did not 'see' at all. He turned his gaze to the rest of the group, mainly the ones in Warden Armor. "Oh thank the gods, Wardens. We can really use your help"

"Funny how that is" Brianna quipped, "We can here looking for the dalish's help"

"There is much to talk about" Mithra spoke up, waving for the group to follow them.

Neria and Gin watched with wide eyes as most of the dalish hunters retreated back to the foliage or climbed up the trees, disappearing in the canopy. "Wow..." That was different than disappearing amongst the crowd of the city.

"Don't stay behind" Marcus snapped them out of their stupor, and they quickly picked up their pace.

As they were guided through the forest towards the location of their camp, Alistair asked the lead hunters. "So, Miara's daughter said you were being assaulted by werewolves correct?"

"Indeed" The male hunter replied warily. "They descended upon us in great numbers. Monstrous wolf creatures like I've never seen before. Our clan fought them off but those things were incredibly fierce, their claws rendered armor like paper and they could take multiple arrows to the torso before going down"

"Sarya has been keeping a ward on the camp to keep them away" Mithra continued, "She's been at it nonstop"

Miara's eyes widened in concern, "How long has she's been keeping that ward?"

"Today, it'll be five days straight with neither sleep nor any kind of rest"

Had the dovahkiin and vampire's eyes grew any wider they likely would have popped out; "What?!" Sofie only ran her hand over her face with a sigh.

"The Keepers have been pleading with her to rest but she refuses. Said she won't stop protecting our clans till the werewolves are stopped." Mithra spoke with an unreadable hushed tone. "I never expected that from her..."

Despite her words being a whisper Miara and Serana heard her but kept focused. Hopefully they could settle their daughter down.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Gin and Neria took in the tense atmosphere as they all entered the encampment of the Dalish. Elves, from children to elder none stopped moving or working as many tended to wounded, or worked to prepare better defenses. Hunters and warriors kept watch around the camp. One armored Dalish with no facial marking, and short red hair and fair skin caught his attention; "Pol!"

Upon hearing his name the elven hunter turned. Surprise lit his eyes as he saw some he had not seen since leaving Denerim. "Gin?" Leaving Gin to reconnect with the former city elf, the group pressed on.

Miara ignored the looks of surprise the many dalish were giving them, how they whispered and pointed at not only the presence of humans, but also of another elf who looked much like their guest. The mothers soon spotted Sarya at the center of the camp, kneeling around a circle of arcane sigils, focusing intently in keeping a camp-wide ward. The only sign there was one in place was the shimmering spot of arcane light many feet in the air, above the tree line even.

"Sarya!" Miara and Serana rushed over to their daughter, Sofie followed close behind.

The youngest daughter turned in surprise, a weak smile forming on her lips, "Heeeeey you made it" Though she kept a good front, the bangs under her eyes and tired tone of voice showed how exhausted she was.

Marcus noted that Sarya possessed a strong resemblance to Miara, her facial structure was a bit rounder, younger he could say, and her dark hair was pulled on a ponytail with long bangs framing the sides of her face.

"Are you okay honey?" Miara asked in concern, kneeling beside her daughter and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Pfft, please. I've been in rougher spots before. Like when I traveled to that volcanic realm, nothing but ash and sulfur in the air"

Serana let out a long sigh, "That does not reassure us, dear..."

Sofie shook her head but smiled faintly at her sister, sometimes she proved to be more of a fighter than she was.

The Wardens and their companions stood at the sidelines, giving the family their space. "So uh" Alistair awkwardly scratched his head, "Is there someone we can talk to or..."

"That would be us" An elderly woman's voice made itself known, and two elves in distinctly different robes approached their party. An adult bald elven man and a woman who looked to be entering her winter years. "Andaran atish'an, Wardens. I am Keeper Marethari, and this is Keeper Zathrian" The woman introduced herself respectfully, placing a hand to her chest before motioning to her fellow Keeper. Though the male elf bowed his head curtly and politely, there was no mistaking the disapproving look he gave the humans of their group.

"We saw Sarya use her ring to inform you of our plight," Zathrian addressed the group before glancing over to Miara; "I was not expecting you all to arriving this swiftly. Your kind are not quick to aid mine" He offhandedly mentioned to Marcus and Alistair, keeping a weary glace on them and the swamp witch who looked around the camp with interest.

Serana fussed over her elven daughter while Miara peered back to the Keepers; "Parents don't abandoned their children when they are crying for help." Ignoring Sarya bemoaning that she was thirty-one; "Regardless of age." The dragonborn dryly glared at her daughter before gesturing to her Nordic daughter; "This is Sofie our oldest." The armored Nordic woman gave a respectful bow of the head while kneeling beside Serana.

"Sarya has told us plenty about her family. You would be Serana, correct?" Marethari was rewarded with a nod in confirmation from the hooded Nord.

Zathrian let out a sigh; "Forgive my tone. With the attacks from the werewolves everyone is on edge. I would also guess why you've came here besides Sarya's outreach to you. She informed of us of Ostagar. You seek aide against the coming Darkspawn."

"Dealing with the were-beasts and protecting the clans is priority," Marcus stated much to the centuries old elf skeptic gaze. "You can't gain allies without building trust and respect, and helping your people in need would do that yes?"

"Well-spoken young man," Marethari remarked with a nod. "Indeed we will gladly honor our oaths to the Wardens once the threat of the werewolves is done."

As the Keepers conversed with Marcus and Alistair, the trio of young mages of their group peered upwards at the ward made by Sarya. "That is a powerful spell," Brianna murmured.

Morrigan nodded beside her "And she had been keeping up for five days straight. Impressive..."

"Thank you!" The youngest child of Miara and Serana called out. Again, the elven hearing proved to be exceptional. "It's nothing really; I've done more complicated stuff. Now can somebody pass me a stamina potion so I don't fall unconscious?"

"Oh sweetie" Serana remain knelt before her child, "You need to take a rest"

"I'm fine" She replied like a petulant kid.

"We disagree" Fenarel walked up to the mage, accompanied by Mithra. "Your ward has given us time to tend to our wounded and work on our defenses. Already we have multiple sentries in vital areas of the forest; if they come back we'll be prepared this time"

A thoughtful expression form on her brow. "Alright, alright. I'll rest" She finally let the spell go, though it didn't dissipate immediately. Slowly it would fade away within the hour. "Nice work everyone!"

And with that, she fell to the side and unto her elven mother's shoulder, snoring slightly. Miara sighed to herself, running a hand over her daughter's hair. Sofie gently picked up her younger sister in her large arms.

"Right this way" The blonde hunter Mithra beckoned the large human with a wave of her hand. "She can use a tent for rest"

"Thank you" The nord remarked sincerely.

"Your sister might not be the most... agreeable person" Thankfully, Sofie snorted at Mithra's words, which showed she was well aware of how taxing Sarya could be. "But she's done a lot for the clans, and proved she can be relied upon. We dalish do not forget debts."

Sarya mumbled tiredly, her eyes not even opening, so it was hard to gauge if she was sleep talking or still awake. "What's that Mithra? Finally wanna join me and Fenarel~?"

A snicker came from Sofie at the heavy blush upon Mithra's cheeks before muttering lowly in elven. Reaching the tent and moving the cloth entrance aside, the Nordic woman placed her little sister down on a bedroll. "Sarya's a handful, been that way since she had being little. But you'll never find someone more passionate than her." The Nordic woman remained knelt down as she adjusted some of her sister's hair.

Mithra's gaze went to the ground; "Next to our warriors she fought alongside them against those beasts with no regard for her own safety, risking her very life for us. I-I honestly assumed she would have ran away the moment real danger came." Her tone full of shame as she continued; "I truly had never been more wrong about someone in my life."

To her surprise the human woman smiled back; "You've learned from your mistake. Never forget it." She walked out of the tent to fully stand. "Now let's see what we can do to help out."

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Bran and Loke barked playfully as they ran around the camp being followed by elven children. The clever mabari were doing their part to help as the others did the same with what they could. Sten kept a vigil alongside the Dalish warriors with Sofie and Leliana. Neria with Brianna and Serana tended to the wounded alongside a disgruntled Morrigan. Marcus, Alistair, and Miara spoke with the two Keepers of the threat.

"Never thought you of all people would become a Warden" Pol jested beside Gin as they observed the clan keeping busy.

A low grunt came from the former city elf; "That makes two of us. But was either that be get my head chopped off." Unconsciously rubbing the back of his neck. "So how's been life here?"

"Tough, but infinitely more better than having Shems breathing down your back."

"Only now it's werewolves swooping down upon you" To quote Alistair, 'swooping was bad'.

"Well, heh" Pol nervously laughed, "Can't win them all right?"

The city elf looked around the camp; the dalish were numerous but... "I'll be honest Pol, we came here to get the dalish's help. But the numbers here it's... not promising" The size of the horde haunted his dreams.

Thankfully, Pol was quick to dismiss his fears. "Oh these are just two clans yes. But we're not the only clans in Ferelden, not even the only clans in the Brecilian forest" He explained. "Once you guys help us beat the werewolves, they'll send word to the other clans. You'll have hundreds of dalish bows pointed at the 'Spawn" The redheaded elf promised with a smile.

The shaggy haired city elf shook his head amused. "Even yours?"

"Um..." At that his smile faltered. "I-I-I mean I don't even have my vallaslin yet, s-so I doubt they'd let me join the fight"

"Pol" He placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's fine, if your place is with your clan instead of the front lines, then that's where you must be"

"Thanks... To be honest the thought of fighting Darkspawn terrifies me. Heh" He laughed in a self-deprecating manner. "Some dalish I am, can't even show courage when it's needed"

"The Pol I knew was a scaredy cat" Gin grinned at the dry look coming from the redhead. "But even he took me by surprise when he chooses to go with the dalish. That took courage"

Pol looked at his old friend for a moment before grinning; "Thanks."

"You'll never guess who also became a Warden from the Alienage." Gin pointed over towards Neria; "Remember the girl taken from the alienage by Templars when we were kids."

The redhead peered over to where Gin's group was helping the wounded. He took a long look at the young elven mage before his ears twitched; "Neria?"

"Yup. Small world eh?"

At that Pol thought for a moment; "Used to think that till Sarya had shown up. Showed us all of our Elvhen in this Tamriel. The feeling I felt knowing our people do prosper and thrive somewhere in the world. It made me smile."

"They could be lying about the whole Elven kingdoms you know." Gin dryly countered.

"Still a ray of joy and sunshine I see."

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The dalish woman hissed, tears gathering at the corner of her eyes. The deep gashes in her leg burned, chunks of her flesh had been carved away by the rending claws of one of those wolf beasts. She laid on a bedroll along with multiple other injured elves; she just wanted the pain to end.

A gentle hand pressed against her forehead, and she was greeted by the tattoo-less face of a dark skinned elven mage, wearing grey and blue, the colors of the Wardens. "Shhhh, it's all gonna be okay"

The woman gasped, feeling the pain wash away before the magic flooding her being. Gentle mystical energies pouring forth over the leg wound, slowly closing it. She could finally breathe again, her head slumped against the rolled rag pillow as her chest rose and fell rhythmically.

"Ma serannas..." She muttered as she closed her eyes, finally letting the world disappear for a time.

Neria sighed to herself. She was no Wynne but she liked to believe her skills regarding healing were still highly advanced, despite the praise of her teachers; it was a very different thing to be treating people that were actually suffering from grievous injuries. She checked the closing wound on the dalish's leg, hmm, an ugly scar would remain. The werewolf's claws had cut deep; restoring the lost flesh would take months of magical treatment if she wanted to be back in fighting condition.

"Everything okay here?" Brianna asked; walking towards her with a bowl filled with elfroot poultice.

"She'll need elfroot around the leg area"

"On it" Brianna nodded before gently applying the poultice on the scarred flesh.

"Very nice work" A male voice behind them spoke, "I'm glad to see the Circle has not forgotten the merits of healing magic"

Both ladies turn in time to see an elven man with long auburn hair, wearing a mix of leathers over a mage's robe knelt down beside them; "I see you two were able to get out of Kinloch Hold."

Neria and Brianna shared a look before peering back to the man; "You were a circle mage?" Amell asked as she kept working.

"Indeed, my name is Aneirin. Fled the circle ages ago and was found by Keeper Zathrian and made one of the Orava clan. Never looked back."

"Well I for one am happy for you, just hope it wasn't as bad compared to how we got away from that hellhole." Neria smacked his friend's arm for her blunt comment. "It was."

The elven man chuckled; "Not all of us thought of it as such. But I was much like yourself Miss-"

"Brianna Amell, this is Neria Surana."

"Hmm, then you two must have been brought in after I escaped."

It was that that clicked something in Neria's head as she thought for a moment; "Aneirin... I think I've heard your name before but... Oh! Wynne had talked about someone named Aneirin!"

"So she still remembers; I used to be her apprentice." Emotion bled into the elven man's voice as memories came to him.

Brianna thumbed towards her longtime friend; "So was too she before Irving took over her training."

"Truly? My" He smiled good naturedly, "You must be the exceptional mage"

"Ugh" The Amell rolled her eyes, "Try telling her that, she has very little self-confidence"

Neria's eyes dryly bore into her friend's before looking back at Aneirin. "Aren't friends just wonderful?"

The dalish mage let out a heartfelt laugh, "You may rile each other up... Okay, just her riles you up I can tell" Brianna beamed while the younger elf sulked. "But I can see you two are good friends. I wish I could have had companionship like you two have back in the Circle"

"You were pretty unhappy there from what I heard" Neria said in sympathy.

"That's being polite" Aneirin sighed, "I was miserable. And believe you me; Wynne did not make things easier. By far the most strict and harsh teacher I've ever had"

"Huh" Brianna muttered in disbelief, "That... really doesn't sound like Wynne"

A brow rose from Aneirin as Neria took over; "When I became her apprentice she had become patient, taught me at my pace, she's kind and understanding." The young elf's ears dipped as she had recalled what her former mentor had taught her. "She blamed herself for what happened with you. She was terrified the Templars might have killed you. Teacher wanted to apologize for how she had treated you." Worry gnarled in her gut; "She... She was at Ostagar..."

Aneirin's eyes grew but he steadied himself quickly; "I think we both know how stubborn Wynne can be. She would have found a way to escape that place." The older elf took a seat beside Neria to help; "But I am glad to hear our teacher has grown from her former self and into a better person. Despite her harshness I kept some of what she taught me to heart." He gave a gentle pat to the young elven girl; " _When_ you do see her again, tell her I am fine and found my place among our people."

Neria gave a nod while Brianna had finished with some Elfroot poultice on several bad wounds to some injured; "She's probably driving Petra and the children up the wall with Chantry nonsense." Amell jested trying to better the mood of her friend.

She garnered an eye roll with a faint snort from her friend.

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Sten's eyes took in every inch of the Dalish camp and its perimeter. Nothing escaped the Qunari's vigil while Sofie and Leli were close at his side; "How is it looking big guy?" He grunted at the lack of formality from the Nordic woman.

"There are many eyes focused around the camp. And not from the elves currently residing within it."

The now former lay-sister tapped her chin in thought; "I think that Mithra huntress said a few other Dalish clans roamed around other parts of the forest."

"Keeping an eye out for the wolves, and us." Sofie murmured crossing her arms. "See what we do, prove we're honorable to them."

"The dalish show great diligence" The qunari stated in approval, "A clear roll in their clan. The same cannot be said for the rest of these lands"

Sofie exchanged a curious look with Leliana, "What do you mean?"

"No one has a place" Sten replied with annoyance and exasperation. "Farmers want to be merchants, merchants want to be nobles. Their roles flow like an unfocused river that will only lead to the sea where they will be lost amidst the waves"

The muscular woman turned again back to Leliana for clarification, "Qunari culture functions by assigning specific roles upon birth" She explained, "The concept of choosing a different path is... unknown to them"

"We do have choice in the Qun" Sten disagreed. "We can either embrace our role, or be cast away like honorless scum"

"Yikes" Sofie winced. The more she heard about the Qun the less she liked as much as the Chantry. There were merits to holding such an orderly society, from what she heard the Qun was very much the most effective and powerful kingdom in all of Thedas. They had to be to have fought all their nations to a stand-still. But to rob away one's choice, to cast away individuality like that... The concept was so alien and wrong to her. "So... your role is in the military then"

"It is"

"Then, why are you still here?" That was what Sofie did not understand. "Aren't you supposed to return to your superiors?"

"I cannot return" He stated matter of factly.

Leliana's eyes widened briefly, "Oh..." She searched through her knowledge of qunari culture that might indicate what circumstances prevented Sten from returning to his people.

"Hmm" The nord hummed to herself before giving the large humanoid a wide grin, "Well, you can stay with us"

"...Thank you" There was a surprising amount of emotion in his voice. As much as the stoic man could muster, but that alone was an impressive display from someone like him.

She patted the man on his shoulder pad in a display of companionship, before giving Leliana a mirth filled gaze. "Now, I heard some dalish muttering about a young hunter pining for another but he's too shy to ask her hand. Wanna play matchmaker?"

Leliana's smile could have split her face open, her hands joined closed as she happily clapped.

Sten grunted, though the nord was a strong warrior that provided tolerable company, though some of her antics was hard to endure.

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The hammer fell upon the sword in an almost musical rhythm, tempering the blade with extreme precision and dedication in every blow.

Varathorn ran a hand over his long grey locks, looking on impressed at Sarya's elven mother's work. "I must say, your daughter gushed about your skills with such candor I thought it was tall tales... Seeing you work now, I'm starting to think she was underselling them"

The master smith of the Sabrae also had to agree looking over a dagger she had sharpened. "I heard of dwarves who could make an edge so deadly." Ilen muttered before gazing at the working Miara; "You truly are a master of smithing."

"I'd like to agree but as an old friend of mine once told me. 'You never stop learning'. Took me well over a century to get where I am, but since coming to Thedas I know there is so more for me to learn."

Master Wade had explained to her of the countless unique materials and designs from Thedas. The diverse ranges of smithing from the Dwarves, Elves, Qunari, and Humans here. Her heart couldn't stop beating so wildly!

She glanced over to Varathorn; "I have to say that ore and strange wood you have is quite unique. Nothing like it in Tamriel."

A hearty chuckle came from the aged smith as he patted some of the Veridium ore and Ironbark on a table; "Thank your daughter. With these can make proper armor and weapons along with other items for the clan."

"Hmm..." Miara thought for a moment as she kept working; "As a show of good faith to the Dalish I can give you some elven Tamriel armor and weapons schematics if you like?"

"Truly?" The smiths' eyes shined with interest. "We'd be honored"

"Of course, they'd have to be made with the materials you have here rather than Tamriel ones" Miara shrugged, "Don't think you have Moonstone here to make proper altmer armor. Perhaps bosmer schematics would help you more..." She mused as she run a hand over her chin.

"We can make the necessary adjustments once we see how the weapons and armor handle" Ilen reassured her. "From what Sarya told us, many types of elven gear require this material you named, 'moonstone'. It would not be the same, but it'd lift the spirits here to see us wielding gear designed by our far off shored cousins"

"In return" Varathorn continued, "Let us gift you some our valued ironbark. I believe a magnificent bow can be made with it in your hands"

Miara's eyes shined with glee at the prospect of working with another material. Making bows out of pure metal was always a difficult process; no one had any use for a bow too heavy to lift, even if the strongest material always provided the best drawing strength to release an arrow. The ration of wood and metal in Tamrielic bows was more often than not balanced more on the bow's favor, unless the material was magic enough. But the prospect of this ironbark intrigued her, if the name was any indication she could make a bow as light as wood and as solid as metal.

But her daydreaming had to come to an end, as she felt Serana's hand upon her shoulder. "Yeah, keep your small clothes dry for the moment. There is something you could help with here" And proceeded to drag her away.

"But, smithing!" The dunmer cried out like a petulant child.

The two very much amused old smiths waved her off. "We'll continue our deal later then"

Having accepted that her playtime was done for now, Miara huffed and grumpily looked at her lover. "What is it?"

"I was thinking we could use your magic to heal someone" Serana said as she guided her through the camp. "See if your Ada lineage can overcome this"

The dunmer let out a soft breath through her nose. "You know I can't cure lycanthropy unless I erase the source of the curse"

Plenty of dalish had been bitten by the werewolf onslaught. Some, feeling the curse quickly growing in strength, had taken to the woods to be as far away from the clan as possible. While many others were still on the brink of turning. It had been a very difficult choice for the clans, but there was little they could do save killing their own kin to prevent them from becoming more of the beasts.

A measure which they had been forced to take, before they had arrived...

Serana, powerful hexer that she was, went to the rest of the afflicted and placed them into a deep slumber that could last for days. That removed the risk of more lycans emerging from the dalish's own ranks for now. But finding a cure, that was another challenge altogether.

"Not talking about the lycanthropy" Serana said, much to the dragonborn's surprise. "There is an elf here, he has the Blight"

Surprise shone from Miara's eyes as her lover explained what Marethari had told her what happened just before the lycan attacks. Apparently two warriors of the Sabrae clan, Theron and Tamlen had delved into an elven ruin with Sarya. This resulted in Theron being tainted by the Blight, and Tamlen completely vanishing.

The Dunmer went into a near panic at the thought of her daughter possibly being tainted by that corruption. Serana had been the same till the elderly woman stated Sarya was clear of the Taint. Yet a thought occurred to both ladies, 'could their children even be tainted?' With their unique blood they possibly could be immune like Miara is. But it wasn't a theory they felt like testing anytime soon.

Nearing one of the larger tents, the duo took quickly the sight of the young Theron lying on wolf furs. What they saw disturbed them both, as they could see some parts of his natural dark skin going pale. Numerous veins visible and black. Though unconscious, he was not in a peaceful slumber as he grunted in pain.

Sitting beside him were the firsts of Marethari and Zathrian. They had met Lanaya with her teacher, but this was first meeting with Merrill. The poor dear looked like a complete and utter mess, and they could tell she had not been sleeping much or at all since Theron's was brought back by Sarya.

The tired elven girl took notice of the two. "Oh, Lanaya said we had guests. Aneth ara." She blinked a few times as she looked at Miara; "I thought Sarya was keeping the ward up?"

A sigh came from Zathrian's first; "These two are Sarya's mothers, remember I told you? She's finally sleeping after they and the Wardens showed up. Which what you should be doing."

"Not until Theron is okay." Merrill shook head stubbornly.

Once more a sigh escaped Lanaya's lips before peering up to Miara and Serana; "And this is what we have been dealing with. Neither Keeper Zathrian nor Keeper Marethari have been able to convince Merrill to care for herself properly. She has barely eaten or slept."

Miara approached the young man, kneeling in front of Merrill as she began to inspect him. "How long has he been like this?"

"Five days" Lanaya explained. So it had been the same time the werewolves attacked, what a terrible timing. "Keeper Zathrian has done all he could to stave off the Blight but..."

Merrill's eyes were downcast, heartbroken and inconsolable. She held his hand tightly, uncaring about that it was Tainted.

"Let me try" It's been a long time since she called in her divinity like this, much less ask for another god's blessing to help. But she was an Agent of Mara; the lady of benevolence had blessed her healing magic long ago. She joined her hands together and offered a soft prayer. " _Oh Mara, mistress of grace. Let this spell be warm like hearth of home, yet purge the evil like righteous flames_ "

Golden magic emanated from her hands, she hovered her hands just above the boy and channeled the energies throughout Theron's body. He looked in less pain, like he could breathe easier now. The black veins in his neck retreated ever so slightly.

Miara frowned. The spell might have been able to ease his symptoms, but it hadn't cleansed his body like she would have wanted. No, it looked like direct interference from a higher god might be necessary. Hmm, perhaps if she channeled Dawnbreaker... No, bad idea. The most likely scenario would be the young man being reduced to ashes.

Theron stirred groaning as his eyes slowly opened. His gaze slowly focused and looked at Merrill's tearful face smiling at him, "Merrill..." His voice was weak and dry, he hadn't spoken in days.

"I'm here" She whispered.

"W-What happened?"

"The Eluvian you found in the ruins" It was Lanaya who answered. "Somehow it... gave you the Blight"

His eyes widened in despair, he shot up with a start, only to cough violently into his hand. Merrill gently used her magic to alleviate the pain.

"The Blight?" He muttered in disbelief. "But... Tamlen how is he?"

Merrill bit her lip, eyes shimmering as more tears gathered. "We don't know, Sarya said he disappeared when she found you"

A multitude of tumultuous flashed before his eyes. Grief, shock, anger, regret, and finally guilt. "I... I should have said something, gone back to the camp when we had the chance. But..."

"You're alive young man" Miara said comfortingly. "That's what matters"

The young elf peered at the grey skinned mer and then at the hooded tall woman standing at the side. "You must Sarya's mothers"

"Hope my daughter wasn't too difficult"

"She's a pain in the ass..."

"Theron!" Merrill admonished him.

To their surprise, Miara just laughed. "Oh she can be"

Theron looked at his hands, then at the rest of his body. He took notice how his skin was paling, how the black veins throbbed underneath his skin. He felt weak, like someone had slowly drained his blood and filled it with poison.

"I'm..." He softly spoke in quiet anguish. "I'm going to die"

Merrill sobbed, tears trailing down her cheeks as she buried her face in his neck.

"No" Marethari's matronly voice was heard, and she entered the large tent followed by Marcus and Alistair. "Not if we have something to say about it"

"Is this him? Maker" Alistair shook his head in grimace. "You've been doing miracles keeping the Blight from consuming him for so long"

"You are a Warden" The tainted elf muttered, looking at the griffon carved in his chest plate, so overwhelmed he was at everything going on that he choose to let go of the fact that there were multiple humans in the camp.

"And we might be able to save your life" The senior Warden said. "But you know what this means" He spoke to the Keeper.

"Theron is our finest warrior" She replied, her voice firm, but there were hints of regret and resignation in it. "He will serve you well"

"Wait" Lanaya looked in between them in confusion, a sentiment shared by Theron and Merrill. "What are you talking about?"

"We can save his life" Marcus spoke, "But for that, he must become a Warden and aid us in our quest to stop the Blight"

Theron's eyes slowly rose; "The Blight..." His voice a whisper he turned to Lanaya who nodded and summarized what Sarya had told them after Ostagar. The Dalish warrior glared at the two human men; "So either die or the join the Wardens and leave my people."

"Well," Alistair shrugged as he rubbed the back of his head; "The Blight threatens us all, unless we do something your people will perish as well. Not just your clan here, but all elves who reside in Ferelden."

While true, Theron felt he really didn't have much of choice at all. He looked to the Keeper; "This is the only way?"

Marethari gravely nodded her head; "If you do not do this, you will either die or become a ghoul, please don't force our clan to put down one of our own... I know what they ask is a lot, but stopping the Darkspawn takes precedence. The Grey Wardens' cause is noble, you must follow in the footsteps of Garahel, and show Thedas that the dalish are as much part of these lands as the humans are"

A curse and grumble in elvish came from the young man before turning to Merrill. Tears flowed from her eyes as her body shook. Seeing her in such a horrid state, the prospect of his own death paining her so much… he knew what he had to do. His gaze went back to Marcus and Alistair; "I accept…"

The young Cousland gave nod before shifting to the former Templar; "Go get Brianna."

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* * *

It was a stroke of luck their blood pendants given to them by Duncan did gave Bri enough to create the Joining potion. The process took some time, but the beautiful brunette mage came into the tent where Theron remained with the others followed by a concerned Neria.

She gave the cup over to Alistair; "It's ready." Amell sighed before she knelt down to the Dalish warrior; "I won't lie to you. You have a fifty/fifty chance this will kill you." She looked Theron in the eyes who stared back.

"Against the one hundred percent chance that the Taint kills me?" The elf snorted. "Yeah, I think I'll take my chances with this"

"You got a dry wit, I like that" Alistair smirked, holding the cup filled with the blood on his hand as he knelt before Theron. "Keep it close to you, only way you won't go insane in this line of work"

Theron slowly grasped the cup in his hand, and stared at the putrid vile thing that was already flowing through his vein. It had to be a joke from the Creators that his salvation laid in the very thing that was killing him.

If he was going to die, then he wouldn't leave this world a coward. He had held his tongue far too long, no more.

"Merrill" He looked into those big beautiful green eyes of hers. "I want you to know, you're the most important thing in my life"

Her lips parted in surprise, a soft blush adorning her tear stricken cheeks as she held a hand over her mouth.

"Just seeing you every day was... it made me feel that everything would be alright" He let out a soft laugh, bearing his soul to the woman he loved felt like nothing in the world. It was liberating, he could feel his spirit soar. "Being with you, hearing you laugh, those are the things I treasure the most... If you'd let me, I would have spent my entire life at your side, ma vhenan"

"Theron..." She muttered, unable to find the words to properly return his feelings.

The tent was very silent, respecting the open confession the young warrior had made to his beloved. Marcus thought back to Iona and Amethyne, swearing he would return to them.

Miara and Serana joined hands in remembrance when their feelings for one another had been made clear long ago. They knew that just like them, neither Merrill nor Theron would ever forget this moment.

While Marethari smiled gently to herself. It was about time...

The elven warrior looked at the cup once more; he thanked his ancestors, the gods, and prayed to the spirits of his parents, hoping he would make them proud.

He drew the blood to his lips.

"From this moment forth, Theron, you are a Grey Warden"

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 _ **Hope you guys like it!**_


	15. Blood and fang: Act II

_**Disclaimer**_ : We do not own Dragon Age Series or Elder scrolls series

 _ **Co-Author and Beta**_ : Etheral-23

 **Blood and fang: Act II**

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Theron's fingers softly ran over the many animal figures carved in his necklace, each of them had been crafted with such dedication and care one could feel it in every single nook and nudge where the knife had shaped the wood. Care and dedication, those words could sum up a dalish's duty to his clan.

A clan he was now forced to leave behind.

It wouldn't have been his first choice, or the last for that matter, but... making Merrill, the Keeper, or any other of his kin watch him die was something he did not want to bring on them. So he chooses the blood, even if the risk was still there.

He was now a Grey Warden, one of the few groups of Shems that the dalish could respect. There were stories of great elven warriors and mages who had joined the order, and even dalish who had taken up the mantle of the Grey.

Regardless if they were honorable or not, or if their party was outstandingly varied, it did not change the fact he now had to follow a perilous journey alongside humans. The idea of leaving his clan for that made him feel uncomfortable. Did he begrudge humans? Ask any dalish and they will all tell you they did, how much and in what way would vary, but the answer was the same.

Did he personally hate these humans? It'd be incredibly ungrateful of his part after they saved his life if he did. But that didn't change the fact he felt... well, awkward around them. The idea of being a comrade in arms to the humans of the Grey Warden's party wasn't one he personally relished even if he was now duty bound.

He supposed he might get used to it, possibly even tolerate them. Guess he'd find out what type of people they are while traveling to stop the Blight. And there are others elves within this group of Wardens so it couldn't be so bad.

Though if he was honest he wasn't sure about Sarya's mother given her daughter's impression she had made since she had come to the clans weeks ago. By Mythal he prayed, or rather hoped she was nothing like her daughter... Was it wrong to think that?

The dalish warrior shook his head before gazing down at the new armor and sword Master Ilen and Varathorn had crafted thanks to Sarya discovering the Ironbark and Veridium ore.

This armor presented to him was crafted from pure Ironbark inlay-ed with ram leather. Theron could openly admit he knew absolutely nothing when it came to blacksmithing. Which was why he had no idea how the pauldrons, forearm, and shin guards looked shiny and metallic from bark? Still, Ilen and Varathorn expressed being made from Ironbark it would be quite flexible as well as durable.

Next to the armor was a beautiful single-edged veridium sword with slightly curved handle and pommel. The guard resembled a claw with elven writing engraved. Ilen explained it was made by the designs of a schematic found in an ancient elven ruin.

Sulevin, 'Purpose' the old Sabrea smith called the sword. Theron expressed that both the armor and sword should go to someone else but Ilen would have none of that. _"You are Sabrea's finest warrior; this was always meant for you. Your father, Keeper Adras would be proud of you."_

That made the elf grin before taking off his current attire.

He had just taken out his shirt when he felt the tent's blinds open briefly to let someone in. "Well it's good to see you up and about"

He looked back over his shoulder to see Sarya's mother standing there with her arms crossed and a grin on her lips. He briefly took in the details of the metallic parts of her armor, the pauldrons, chest piece, and forearm guards, alongside the hardened leather. Her posture was relaxed but Theron couldn't mistake that look in her eyes, her senses were sharp, ever vigilant in case she needed to act fast.

She was dangerous, of that were no doubt.

"Hmm" He merely hummed in reply, "Your daughter doesn't leave a good first impression"

Instead of being offended, she barked out a laugh. "Why would she? She's my daughter. Once you get pass her 'I-know-better-than-anyone-else' attitude, you'll see she's quite nice"

Theron's brown eyes stared at her unamused before rolling, he went to grab the first piece of armor he saw, which was an arm guard, and began strapping it. "I doubt that"

Miara arched a wry eyebrow "She saved your life didn't she?"

At that Theron had no answer, pausing momentarily before shaking his head a bit, making the braids on his hair sway slightly. "Why are you here?"

"Came to see if you needed medical attention. They tell me your Blight stage was very advanced, so it's best to be sure" She clicked her tongue and looked back at the tent's entrance. "Our expert healer should be here by now..."

As if answering her calling, a young elven mage wearing the blue and silver robes of the Grey Warden sorcerers burst in, looking harried. Long brown locks tied in a messy attempt at a bun, her amber eyes locked on a parchment in her hands before she hastily stashed it away in her satchel.

"Sorry, sorry!" She quickly apologized, sounding hurried. "There just so much to do around here, between tending the wounded and working with the other mages to slow down the werewolf strain spreading so others don't turn and-"

"Neria" Miara placed a hand on the young elf; her voice seemed to have a calming effect. "Relax its fine. Breath girl"

"Yes, right" She took a deep breathe, closing her eyes before opening them again, turning to the newly minted dalish Warden. "Greetings, you must be... Oh-Oh my..."

The dunmer tilted her head as Neria suddenly became lost for words, flushing quite visibly as she lifted a dainty hand to her mouth in surprise. Looking back at Theron she soon understood. The dalish was still shirtless, and Miara had to admit that Theron was more physically imposing that most elves in general. And that said something considering his kind had a lot of similarities to the bosmer in terms of physique.

It was obvious Theron was a warrior that trained constantly, as his slim yet muscular build showed. The sculpted valley of his stomach, the broad shoulders to the arms that visibly bulged with their movements and his hardened chest. Miara was intimately familiar with male body in its many shapes.

Poor Neria, young and innocent having spent most of her life locked away in that Tower, really had no experience with such things. As Miara was amusingly started to realize.

"Well," the Dunmer's voice roused Neria from her staring as she blushed; "I'll leave you in Neria's very capable hands." Patting the young elven mage's shoulder, the older elf gave a bemused gaze; "Try not to jump his bones, he just woke up from a coma and expressed his love to someone. Unless that Merrill girl likes sharing the bed."

"Miara!" Neria squawked out with a thicker blush while the older elf guffawed as she left.

Theron shook off his small blush before he groaned out a long sigh as he muttered in elven. His gaze soon came to the former circle mage who tensed up; "Andaran atish'an."

"A-Andaran atish'an." Neria gave a quick bow, still flustered but gave a small grin; "You're my next patient."

"I feel fine." Well, as fine as one could be being in a tainted induced coma for several days.

Neria shifted a bit; "You might feel fine, but as bad as you were one checkup would make me feel comfortable." As bad a shape as he was in, she was amazed he did not become a ghoul.

Theron stared at her for a moment before grunting and placed his gear down; "Go ahead." As he spoke that Neria was quickly near to him raising a hand which soon glowed. "Circle mage?"

"Yes, I was in Kinloch hold. That is a long story, came from Denerim's alienage before that." Neria answered as her hand moved around her fellow elf's upper torso.

Theron did not answer as he watched the young elf work. His eyes moved upward as he saw movement outside the tent. He could see Marcus and Alistair conversing with the Keepers. "The humans with you." Neria stopped as she peered up at him; "What are they like?"

"Good people, well, not sure about Morrigan. Brianna and I grew up together. We also have a Qunari assisting us. But he's really hard to read, Oh! We also have another elf who is a warden, Gin Tabris."

He hummed in thought, "Do they treat you fairly?"

"Um, yes. Why do you ask?"

Theron gave her a dry look before tapping at his own pointy ear.

"Oh!" Now she felt silly, "Of course, they are a fairly polite group. Not once have they judged me or Gin on our race" Her smiles dimmed a bit. "Though some of our companions can be rather difficult, o-on a personal level I mean. Morrigan is a swamp witch and... Can say some really scathing things, but I think that's because she just looks down on everyone. And Sten, well, he isn't really the conversationalist type"

"Great, I know to stay clear from them then" Theron merely stated.

Her lips pursed in thought, the glow in her hand slowly vanishing as she folded her hands together in front of her. "I know it's asking a lot of you, leaving your clan and everything you know like that" The elven mage sighed, "If it makes you feel any better, being a Warden wasn't really my choice"

"...It doesn't" He bluntly said as he stood up and continued putting on his armor. "But the sentiment is appreciated" Neria smiled as Theron paused; "And what of Miara?"

The young elf's face became a thoughtful; "She's... really weird, but in a good way, I think. She has been really helpful to the group, her lover Serana is here too. Along with their oldest daughter Sofie. Serana is a nice person." Theron felt there was more to that given the conflicted look from the girl; "Sofie loves talking as much as she loves fighting. You won't be bored around her."

Sarya's human mother and her oldest human sister, hmm. Well that was an odd family structure if you asked him.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Many relieved faces bloomed around the encampment as Theron came out of his tent followed by Neria. Some of the Elven children quickly came over to the Dalish warrior. Marethari sighed beside Zathrian who patted her shoulder; "He will be alright. Becoming a Warden was better than death or worse."

"I know..." The elderly woman nodded before peering to Marcus and Alistair; "Treat him well."

Alistair gave a nod; "Yes ma'am."

"Now, we should focus on ending this werewolf curse" Serana spoke up as she walked up to the Keepers alongside her lover, the tall woman adjusted her hood as to cover her eyes from a few stray beams of sunlight that cut through the canopy. "We're on a limited time frame; the ones who were bitten will turn eventually unless we destroy the curse"

"Is it possible?" Alistair asked.

"If we know the source, then yes" Miara assured, "But we know nothing of this lycanthropy strain, and can only guess at its origins"

"Actually" Zathrian stepped forth rubbing his jaw in a thinking gesture. "I might be able to help with that"

Marcus frowned, "You know its source?"

"I'm old enough to have witnessed it before" The bald mage replied, part amused part wary. "Long ago, in this very forest, lived a wild spirit which took the form of a wolf. Witherfang" Realization soon dawned on Miara and Serana, they had seen this sort of thing before, and the presence of a spirit already brought many plausible explanations to this lycanthropy strain. "Ferocious, and fiercely protective of its home, Witherfang had found a group of vile, violent humans that were doing committing such profane acts they tainted the sanctity of its home"

The disgust in his voice was evident, and there was a hint of... anger. Honest anger, the kind someone felt when they had been personally slighted. It made Miara and Serana exchange a confused glance.

"The humans had acted as beasts, and so Witherfang made them beasts. Some say it actually revealed their real form by shaping them into those bloodthirsty animals"

Miara paced for a moment as she thought; "So for defiling the forest, Witherfang forced them as punishment to become Guardians of it by turning them into Werewolves?"

"In a manner of speaking. But as you are aware from the Werebeasts in your lands as Sarya had explained, they are extremely uncontrollable. As powerful as Witherfang is, it likely has difficulty tempering their feral nature."

True enough. Both ladies only knew of the Companions and Frostmoon Pack who mastered their bestial forms, not many could tame the beast within. "So we kill Witherfang and end the curse." Serana stated evenly; "But guessing it won't be that simple."

"Indeed." Zathrian gave a nod; "Witherfang will be a fierce-some opponent, it will not go down without a fight. But if you succeed bring its heart to me and I will end this curse."

Marcus drummed his fingers on his bicep; "Are there other dangers in the forest?"

"Absolutely, other wild beasts roam deep within, along with hostile spirits in areas where the veil is thin, and Sylvans. Lastly there is an insane Shem hermit roaming about. All the clans avoid the areas he claims to himself." Marethari responded as she glanced to Theron who was speaking with Mithra.

"We will be careful Keepers, and find this Witherfang." Alistair assured them with a steely nod.

Zathrian nodded; "I pray that you do."

Marcus slowly nodded to himself, his mind already going through the preparations. "I'll inform the others we'll leave soon. Will your clans be alright with us leaving?"

"Please, young man" Marethari gave him a wry look, "We may have been wounded, but we're hardly defenseless"

With that, they parted ways. Marcus and Alistair went around the camp, looking for their companions to organize the party that would venture into the forest. Meanwhile the dunmer and vampire walked towards the tent Sarya was currently resting in.

They parted the blinds and gently entered inside, making sure to be as silent as possible. Though given the state of exhaustion their child was in, the possibility of waking up was very slim.

They each knelt at her side; the young woman was curled up in a ball, wrapping the sheets around her tightly. Her chest rising and falling with each audible breath that escaped her nostrils.

Serana let out a soft sigh, "You did good, kiddo"

Miara tenderly reached to tuck a stray strand of hair off their daughter's face behind her ear. "Wish she could have been this calm when she was a kid"

"We have your sister to blame for that" The vampire dryly glared at her.

The dunmer bit back a sharp reply that nearly escaped her lips with an indignant shout, instead opting to hiss out as silently as she could. "How was I supposed to know Rathuni would give her moon sugar?!"

Last time she had ever let her eccentric older Khajiit sister babysit after that. Alandro wasn't really any better since he never had children of his own. Miara had more faith in Valerica looking after the children and that spoke volumes, given her opinion on the woman.

The Nordic vampire rolled her eyes before she rubbed her daughter's cheek; "She will be very cross we did not take her to stop this Witherfang."

"She can gripe as much as she wants after she has a full long rest." Which likely take a full day or two given how long Sarya stayed up to keep that barrier going. "Let's get ready."

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Theron felt his heart beat in his throat as she came to Merrill's tent. After seeing him survive the joining Marethari ordered her to rest up. Thus her first act was eating some food before taking a nap. Her ears perked as her cheeks flushed as Theron moved the blinds to enter; "Uh..." He uttered nervously as he sat down in front of her; "About... What I said-" he was interrupted by the young mage's dainty hand over his mouth.

"Let me talk now and... be patient with me because you know how much I ramble. You know it's because I'm nervous and-" She could feel his lips forming into an amused and fond smile. "And I'm rambling now so... Here goes" She took in a deep breath, before slowly letting it out. "Me too, I mean I feel the same way. E-Everything you said, about being happy when we're together, I too feel happy just... so very happy every time I'm next to you" Her hand slowly trailed down, falling from his lips, and Theron's hands were there to tenderly hold them. "I want... I want to be with you, all the time"

Their faces drew closer as their foreheads gently rested against one another, their noses slightly touching as their closed their eyes, just enjoying the warmth of being so close to one another. Every moment they've ever held hands, every embrace they shared; it was it all was coming back again, a hundredfold, a thousand fold.

"Because when I'm with you... I feel everything just fits, that it's... right"

There was no fast drumming of the heart, to the point it ringed into their ears. No feelings of uneasiness. It was calm like none they had ever felt before, it felt letting the gentle waters of a peaceful river washing over them, while at the same time bathing under the warm rays of the spring sun.

Theron felt happy, the happiest he'd ever felt before. And he owed it all to this wonderful creature before him.

Still keeping his eyes closed, just enjoying the tender sensations of Merrill's skin against his, he spoke, "I... would very much like to kiss you right now"

"O-Oh" He could feel her face heating up, "I-I'm probably terrible at it, I mean, I've never really kissed anyone before so uh..."

She was interrupted as Theron's lips lock with hers. Her body only tensed for a second as both felt a surge course through their bodies. As if lightning itself had struck them, time itself seem to fade for both as Merrill's hands touches Theron's cheeks.

For this moment, there were no clans, werewolves, darkspawn, just them. And they savored the moment for as long as they could.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Both Loke and Bran sat dutifully beside their respected masters as they and the others were preparing for their journey through the forest. And ready to face whatever awaited them. Sofie looked over her sword and hatchets. "Been a while since hunted some werebeasts." The Nord remarked with a grin.

Gin paused from adjusting his Crossbow; "You actually are looking forward to it?"

"It's a Nord trait, we like fighting."

"Hmph, well I feel mislead" The city elf huffed as he holstered Daveth's crossbow on his back and took out one of this blades for inspection. "Here I thought this career would be about fighting Darkspawn, nobody said anything about fighting werewolves"

"It's in the fine print" Alistair's jovial voice spoke as he came over, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. "Under the Weird Stuff clause"

That actually got a small laugh from the usually negative elf. "I'll be sure to ask for a raise then"

"You lot are far too laid back about this matter" The swamp witch announced her displeasure as she leaned back against a tree with her arms cross, the plant of her right foot pressing against the bark. "You are Wardens; your duty should be to focus on the Darkspawn, why are you wasting time helping these elves?"

Gin and Alistair looked crossed at the mage, "Because then we won't get reinforcements to fight the Blight"

"If they couldn't even fight off those monsters then what use are they to you then?" The witch uncaringly derided. "If you ask me-"

"Well it's a good thing nobody did" Gin snapped, his voice low but with an edge to it. "You are not in charge, shem. Don't pretend anyone actually cares about what you think"

Morrigan's amber eyes narrowed in growing irritation at the city elf, which choose to ignore her and continue his banter with Alistair.

Sofie winced, sucking in a sharp breath. For Gin to refer to her as 'shem' indicated just how low the city elf thought of the witch. And it's not like Morrigan helped matters, most of the time the scantily dressed mage was either insulting their companions, calling their morals and views with every ridicule she could come up with, and generally looking down on things most civilized folks would call 'virtuous'.

"The potential for them to grow is there." Miara's retort caught the young witch by surprise having not noticed her presence. "Remove the obstacle and we can garner loyal allies. A resource that could be quite valuable in the years to follow."

Regaining her composure Morrigan briefly glared before scoffing; "I suppose... But would have proven their strength if they had dealt with the threat on their own."

"True." A few overhearing were surprised by the Dunmer's answer; "But if we earn their trust, it works in our favor."

Brianna leaned slightly over to Marcus to whisper; "She's about the only one that even talks to Morrigan." Ever since leaving Flemeth's hut the dark elf had been chatting with the young swamp witch. Much to the said young woman's chagrin.

Serana hooded eyes rolled. Soon Theron came to join them at a jogging pace before he stopped; "Everyone ready?"

"Indeed," Marcus gave a nod; "Just how thick is this forest."

"Very, keep close and don't wander too far. You can get lost here if you're not careful." The Dalish warrior clarified sternly as he gazed at each of them.

"Any idea where we can find this spirit?" Marcus asked.

The dalish pointed to the forest, "There is an old elven ruin south-east of here, Keeper Zathrian says it's most likely where Witherfang resides"

"Then let's not waste any more time" Alistair stepped forth, motioning to the dalish. "Lead on"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

As someone who had grown up surrounded by walls all her life, the dense forest presented many wonder and unknown sights to Neria. Everything about it stimulated her senses, the smell of plants and flowers, the uneven ground beneath her feet, the sound of birds and other animals roaming behind the greenery, too thick for her to see much further beyond. She would have gotten lost ten times over, running in circles, had it not been for Theron's guiding the group.

He made it look so natural, the way he moved over the terrain, navigating between the trees as if he knew exactly where he was going. Momentarily stopping for a moment to inspect a track he found on the ground. Little things that Neria would have passed off as nothing or just wouldn't have noticed at all. A small print on the earth, a cracked branch, or a piece of fur.

She had no idea how the dalish clans lived like this, but it fascinated her. She had been there for a short while, and very busy for the most part, but the clans' culture was very much awe inspiring for her. Perhaps it was some deep feeling inspired by her own elven heritage, or simply the wonder of studying things that were completely knew to her, but she payed attention to everything their new Warden brethren did, hoping to learn.

Neria was starting to see her journey as a great opportunity, she felt blessed to be in this forest alone.

Some of her companions did not feel the same way.

"I hate the forest" Brianna sniffed, her nose most likely being congested by something in the forest that was affecting her nostrils. "I stepped in mud at least three times already..."

A lighthearted chuckle escaped Serana's lip; "Sarya used to be the same, just give it time and you'll be fine."

By the expression from Amell, she seriously doubted that. Bran and Loke walked ahead of the group with their noses to the ground. Sten's steely gaze missed no details around them as he walked beside Sofie. "The forest feels strange." He murmured quietly.

Miara wanted to remark it being the ambient magical energy throughout the forest. Something those in-tuned with nature and mages could feel. This forest had the loving embrace of Kyne like all the others the Dunmer ventured into. But as she let her senses reach out to the forest around them, something felt... off.

There was a tenseness in the air. She couldn't quite describe it fully with words.

"I think it is a lovely place myself," Neria smiled beside her longtime friend. "Just wish we could enjoy it under better circumstances." Her smile faltered.

Gin shrugged; "Assuming we don't die horribly from this Witherfang or Darkspawn." He noticed the dry expression from Theron; "What?"

"Pol told me of fellow elf in Denerim who had a... sour disposition, I take it that is you?"

"Well at least he was being polite about it. But I am glad you guys took him in."

Theron gave a nod before looking back ahead.

The sensation Miara was feeling was just becoming stronger, long years of developed instinct was telling her they were in danger. She reflexively casted Detect Life, trying to spot any sentient life form around them that could be nearby.

As a rule, the spell would ignore plant life and instead detect entities that possessed a mind, be they rudimentary and primitive like bugs or animals, to those that could employ reason and logic like sapient beings.

So it came to a shock to her when five tall thin trees around them were shining in her eyes due to the spell.

Her hand immediately went to Dragonbane and pulled it out in a swift motion, taking an Akaviri stance. "We're surrounded!" The group reacted fast, pulling their weapons and or preparing spells for combat. Neria was quick to put a barrier around each individual in their party.

There was a sudden, groaning noise, like wood being twisted and splintering. As though something was moving through the trees, something big enough to make them bend.

"Where?" Sofie asked; pulling out the two war axes from her belt as Leliana guarded her back, bow drawn and arrow ready to be aimed at a moment's notice.

Her response provoked a shock through the group, "The trees!"

Theron let out an elven swear as he readied his bow, "Sylvans!"

"Syl-what?" Gin questioned a look of utter confusion written all over his face.

The groaning intensified, this time becoming a guttural roar. Five trees around them shook, leaves falling as their canopies shook wildly, long branches twisted and curled, piece of bark split off from the main trunk, taking in the shape of long gnarly arms and legs. Their heads formed just bellowed their foliage, holes in the bark opened to reveal the threatening visage of monstrous faces.

"Those!"

Bran and Loke barked and growled fiercely ready to strike at the monsters. Sten was quick to draw his blade, glaring hard and ready for battle. Brianna, Neria, and Morrigan each glowed with magic from their staves and hands. "It would be prudent for the Saarebas not to use fire." the Qunari addressed not taking his eyes off the wooden monsters.

"Causing a forest fire wouldn't endear us to the dalish." Miara continued as Serana drew her father's sword with ice glowing from her other hand.

Gin held Daveth's crossbow tightly; "Any more obvious advice?" His sarcasm was palpable.

"Just one," Marcus spoke up with his swords drawn; "Bring them down!"

The wooden monsters roared again as they charged the group. The two mabari were the quickest next to Miara who dashed in-between them the hounds. A Sylvan raised one of its long arms to take a swipe at the elf and dogs. The dunmer ducked with finesse while the two mabari leaped away before resuming their charge.

" **Mid Vur Shaan**!" She directed her shouts at the hounds, and they became blurs that kept the Sylvan confused, they were too fast for its long limbs to reach. Bran dashed beneath its raised foot as this one harmlessly stomped the ground, missing the hound entirely.

The mabari proved a good distraction, as Miara casted a featherweight spell on herself, allowing her to jump high and sever one of the spirit's arms with her katana. The metal designed to cut through dragon scales easily cut through the bark, the arcs of lightning burning the stomp.

Serana casted a wave of unrelenting cold at one of the Sylvan's legs, and with a tug from the creature the leg shattered, making it tumble to the ground as it fell on one knee. Miara descended upon the creature's neck and severed its head, the rest of its giant body falling lifelessly to the ground.

Alistair grunted as vines emerged from the ground and snared him with a tight hold. He swung his blade upon the vines closest to his torso, cutting them to regain his mobility. His eyes widened as the sylvan loomed upon him, a sharp claw of bark raised to strike him down.

It fell upon him, but the fingers were severed by Marcus' blades. The noble gave Alistair a nod, this one nodding back in gratitude as he continued freeing himself. Despite his heavy armor, the enchantments on it allowed him to move with ease, as though he was only wearing leather. He rolled to side avoiding the sweeping attack from the Sylvan's other arm, slashing away another strike with a swing of his family blade. The sylvan raised its foot to stomp on the human, but Marcus managed to back away just in time.

The sylvan roared, and from its maw spat a mixture of sap and some other substance Marcus didn't want to think about. It splashed against his face, making the young noble recoil. He shut his eyes tightly as the liquid run down his face; he dropped one blade and tried to wipe away the sticky substance.

The tree entity raised its claw once more, and would have cut down the warrior were it not for something that appeared to be divine intervention. A strike of holy light descending upon its form, striking it with righteous fury.

Alistair, gasping with his arm outstretched, having managed to free half of his body, felt the vestiges of lyrium he still had left in him drain with the Holy Smite he casted. "Didn't even know it'd work on it!"

Neither former Templar or noble debated as they charged the wooden beasts by hacking off its legs. The Sylvan screeched in pain till two swords were plunged through its mouth and out the back of its head.

Nearby a Sylvan snarled in irritation as a bolt from Gin's bow stuck true into its wooden body. It roared before being stuck by arcs of lightning and ice spikes courtesy of Neria and Brianna. "I love these Tamriel destruction spells!" Amell chimed brightly as the wooden monster fell back dead.

"Why do I feel you just love blowing things up?" Gin remarked as he loaded another bolt.

Neria responded before her friend; "She liked to prank the Templars by setting fire on things"

"I never made it dangerous!" Brianna stammered before the Sylvan they 'thought' was dead stirred and rose to make one final lunge at the trio.

It was brought down by two arrows into its face and heart from Theron who was on top of a branch. "Always make sure the Sylvan is dead." The dalish warrior spoke up before leaping over to another tree. His movements were fast and agile as he seem to flow through the trees like a bird.

Well Sofie could admit Theron fought like a Bosmer as his arrows flew into the remaining Sylvan. The elven warrior was in his environment and used it like a true predator. Sten moved with surprising speed mixed with his natural immense strength as he sliced through the wooden beast's leg. It wailed in rage as it fell but brought its fist down to strike the Qunari.

Sofie jumped in, one of her axes burying itself right in the middle of its fist, the edge cutting through the wood. With her second axe she cut off the limb before the elbow. Sten severed its other leg with one mighty swing, letting the creature fall helplessly to the ground. It barely had time to struggle with its remaining arm when Leliana jumped in, her leap carrying her further than most humans thought possible, aided by the enchantments of her gear that booster her agility and movement, and buried her long daggers into the wood creature's head.

Two sylvians remained; the dead of their kin did not deter them in the least. Neria slammed her staff into the ground, willing her magic through it as the earth beneath one of the sylvian's feet softened into sludge, the mud was too dense and deep, so its gnarly feet quickly sank, unable to move anymore. Earth and rocks gathered before her staff, and she launched them with great velocity at the creature's head, tearing its head right off.

Theron deftly moved from branch to branch, raining down arrows through every opening he could find. Leliana joined him from the ground, though their attacks seemed to be mere annoyances to the creature, so Brianna chanted under her breath and imbued their bows with lightning. The energized arrows struck true, the magic in them shocking the beast as they burnt the area of impact.

" **Wuld**!" A dash of movement, and Miara slashed one of its legs off. As it stumbled, a gust of wind and mist soared, coalescing into Serana's form floated high in the air and her red blade cut off the creature's head.

Morrigan huffed as the magical energies faded from her staff. "Well that was a workout." She murmured beside Neria and Brianna.

"A lot different than Spriggans that's for sure." Sofie retorted knelt down to look at the severed head of a sylvan.

As the group steadied themselves Miara stood near at one of the dead forest beasts before her eyes surveyed all in her sight. This only reaffirmed the Dunmer that something was off. And had been for a long time. The forest was restless, uneased, and angry...

Miara peered over to the Dalish warrior who was retrieving his arrows; "Are the sylvans usually hostile like this Theron?"

The Dalish paused in thought before grunting as he pulled out an arrow; "Normally they usually only attacked if you entered too far in forest. Though I heard they have grown more and more aggressive over the years." retrieving his last arrow he recalled something Merrill told him; "Except one. Merrill and Sarya met a Sylvan who called itself Grand Oak."

Petting her hound, Neria looked up to the older elf; "Why are you asking about this?"

A low growl caught all of their attention with Bran and Loke soon returning the growls. Neria having to hold her Mabari as soon more deep growls could be heard in the shadows and around them.

"Close ranks!" Marcus yelled as everyone came together with their backs to one another. The noble grabbed his dog's collar to pull him back as he held Engram in his other hand. Slowly towering figures came out of the shadowed areas around them. Bodies covered in thick fur, varying from brown to black over muscular frames. Claw-like feet and hands, easy to tear rip apart limbs of prey. Long canine snouts with rows of sharp long teeth in their mauls. Golden yellow vulpine eyes glared with rage and fury.

These were very different compared to the werewolves of Tamriel, taller and longer limbed, differently built in terms of muscle proportions. The largest among them stomped forward; scars adorned its face as its fur was a grayish brown; "Why are you here?" Its voice was masculine, deep and guttural.

"The beasts speak?" Sten muttered to Sofie at his side, holding greatsword tightly.

Serana hissed to her beloved in urgency. "Miara they still have their intelligence, they're not feral!"

"Which means the attack on the dalish was premeditated..." The dunmer spoke in realization.

But why?

"Your whispers serve you not!" The leading werewolf roared, "Nothing escapes our ears!" His form lowered slightly as his long muscular legs coiled, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

"Who are you?" Marcus tensely asked.

The werewolf did not lose any aggression even as he answered, "I am Swiftrunner that is the name given to me by our Lady!"

Sofie silently mouthed, 'Lady?' given her mothers a curious look, and they two shared her confusion. "Who is this Lady you speak of?" Miara questioned.

"She is the Lady of the Forest, our savior, who has given us our minds back, calmed the great fury and need to hunt that constantly surges within us" Swiftrunner said with a surprising amount of candor and devotion in his voice. "Now you answer, why have you come to these parts?"

"I think the answer is obvious" Theron snarled, doing a good job at imitating the animal ferocity the werewolves possessed in their voices. "We are here to make you answer for your crimes against my people!"

The werewolves growled; a few snarled and roared in anger, the group tensed, fearing a fight was inevitable.

"You speak of crimes, yet you stand with that old mage your people call leader! He is the one to be held accountable!"

"What?" The dalish anger said in bafflement, "What do you mean by that?"

Swiftrunner took a menacing step forward, "What befell your clan is of his own making!"

"You attacked us!" Theron tightened the grip on his blade. "Slaughtered my people, cursed many to turn into more of you monsters!"

The situation was getting out of hand; the werewolves crouched, looking like they were going to attack. Already the mages on their party were preparing spells.

Miara knew there was a lot more going on now thanks to Swiftrunner's words, Zathrian was involved somehow, but they needed more information. They needed to get to the bottom of this, but if they fought now then...

Swiftrunner howled, brandishing his sharp claws, ready to lunge for the elf when-

" **KAAN**!"

For a moment the very ground shook, with a gasp escaping the lips of the two former circle mages. That power again, magic so primal and immense... The entire forest seemed to react to it. Swiftrunner and his kin froze as the power of Miara's shout stayed their rage. "H-how did you do that?" The Alpha wolf questioned now in a relaxed stance. His gaze wide and in awe.

Miara stepped forward despite quick protest from the others; "Calm yourselves, I do not wish conflict. I want to know the truth."

Swiftrunner only gazed at the Dunmer; "You are like the Lady, your voice soothes..." He uttered in a quiet reverence. Marcus and the others took note the rest of the werewolves were no longer ready to attack. Now they seemed docile, calmed as they all gazed solely at Miara.

The dunmer said nothing as peered to every were-beast she could see, then return he eyes to Swiftrunner; "What truth is hidden from us by Zathrian?"

"Keeper Zathrian would hide nothing!" Theron declared angrily.

At that Swiftrunner faintly snarled glaring at young elf; "Then you are ignorant from the lies told to you Dalish." He peered back down to Miara; "The old elf lies..."

"We came to break the curse." Miara stated their intentions on why they were there.

"We shall see gray one, but if you come to kill the Lady we will defend her." With that the wolf ran off with the others following and vanishing into the shadows.

The breath everyone behind seem to hold escaped their lips as Theron marched over to older elf; "We should have killed them!"

However Miara ignored him as she stared were the Swiftrunner fled to; "We are going to see the Grand Oak." The dunmer addressed in a tone of steel.

"We are?" Alistair's brow rose before turning to Marcus.

Theron only looked more irritated; "We are here to stop the Werewolves and Witherfang!"

Slowly the Dunmer turned her gaze to the Dalish warrior; "I think there is a lot more going on than we know or led to believe. This forest feels wrong, the air is tense. I feel rage coming from the trees, grass, and stone. Someone has defiled this place, and as someone who honors Kynareth my duty is clear. And if that coincides with this Lady of the forest, Witherfang, and the Werewolves I will find it!" She roared back with a glare as she leaned forward. "Now, take us to the **GRAND**! **OAK**!" Once more the ground shook as her voice laced with her thu'um.

Theron could stare horrified at the dunmer, unable to comprehend the type of power she wielded that the world itself shuddered before her very words. A sentiment that was being shared by some of their companions.

"T-This way..." The elf said resigned, not wanting to test his luck against that voice of hers.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Leliana sighed with disappointment, "I wish we could have talked to the Grand Oak a bit more, I wanted to share some limericks with him."

"Another day" Sofie jested with a pat on the redhead's shoulder.

While meeting a rhyming tree was a very interesting occurrence for most of the party, they were unfortunately pressed for time. Miara kept their meeting short, asking direct questions to the tree spirit. It told them, in verse of course, that it knew not the reason behind the werewolf curse or why the werebeasts were so furious at Zathrian. But it did provide them the location of someone that may know the truth, deeper into the forest, so they would travel further south to meet with them.

Of which Theron argued against, "I must warn you again, the spirits of that area are particularly protective of their shrine. Hunters have been attacked just by being too near"

"Your concerns are noted and taken into account, Theron" The dunmer replied, "But we must know just what Swiftrunner was talking about"

"I cannot understand why you take what that beast said seriously" The dark skinned elf shook his head in disappointment, making his braids sway. "Keeper Zathrian is a very wise man; he's protected his clan for generations, all clans look up to him"

"The wisest, the kindest, and gentlest of people can also harbor the darkest of secrets." The cryptic way she spoke those words made most lift a brow in question. Serana and their daughter only lowered their gazes for moment before keeping their eyes forward.

Marcus kept his stride beside the Dunmer; "You're really sure about this?"

"It is better than walking into something blindly and causing more harm." The dunmer retorted sternly. "I learned a long time ago never to overlook anything that could be vital information."

Theron grumbled but did not respond back. Seeing this as a waste of time they did not have.

Neria kept close to Brianna and Gin as they gazed around the forest; "The air feels thick here."

"The magic is strong in this part of the forest." Morrigan spoke up as she breathed in the air; "There is power here. Old and ancient."

"And not something that should be disturbed;" The dalish elf quipped in mild irritation.

The two faithful mabari sniffed through the grass on either side of the dunmer as they cautiously walked into a vast grove that seemed to be fenced by larger than average trees. Countless flowers of all types littered the area with a modest lake at the center. Sunlight came through tree line and beamed onto the watery surface enhancing the beauty of this place.

Forest animals; from birds, rabbits, and even deer roamed the grove. Seemingly uninterested in the present company that entered as they roamed about.

"Remarkable." Brianna uttered as they surveyed the grove. Neria nodded along with Gin before their older distant elven cousin stopped at the edge of the lake. "Why did we stop?" Amell questioned.

Sofie came to her mother's side while Bran and Loke sniffed around them. "You feel that?"

"Like we're being watched." Her other mother retorted as she gripped the handle of her father's sheathed sword on her hip.

It was at that moment the animals fell silent. A silence that soon engulfed the area to an uncomfortable degree as everyone tensed. Loke's and Bran's ears shot up along with their heads as both growled. And at that same moment came a sound known only to those who roamed the vast forests of Tamriel.

The faint but unmistakable buzzing of insects.

Gin's eyes grew wide as a being made of pure wood phased through from one of the trees. Feminine in form, branches stuck from its head like horns, its hands were claw-like. A glowing green light emanated from its upper torso. Its face, female in looks unlike the sylvians. Soon more like it appeared, rising from the ground or through the trees.

"Spriggans!" Sofie muttered as she grabbed the hilt of her blade.

An ethereal melodic giggle danced in the air as what also came from hiding was what appeared to be women of unworldly beauty. Their bodies, nude with greenish brown skin, from their elbows and knees down their limbs were wooden. Some having hair of moss while other having real hair made from a multitude of colors like flowers. Their eyes danced with trancing allure.

In an instant the group behind Miara drew their weapons till the Dunmer yelled; "Lower them!"

"Are you insane!?" Theron exclaimed with his sword at the ready. He along with the others soon went silent as a large shadow rose in front of them.

Miara watched as a spriggan the size of a sylvan rose out from the lake. Its body being of pure wood, but thicker the smaller ones. Multiple spike-like branches adorned its head like antlers. Spike-like branches were on it elbows as its claws with massive. A bright orange glow came from within its body.

"Oh fuck…" Gin summing up what everyone thought at the moment.

"Oh like we didn't need more bad news." Alistair jested darkly as growling wolves came out from the bushes. And they were not alone with the largest bear any of them had ever seen slowly walked into the grove.

"Fenedhis lasa!" Theron swore with a snarl. "Now we're going to die because of you!" He glared at Miara who only stared up the Spriggan Matron.

The towering spriggan rose up one of its arms and the other spriggans move in a more aggressive posture. Till Miara yelled out in a dialect none of the Thedosians had ever heard before. However there was a reaction as all the spriggans and animals froze. The Dunmer kept talking as gestured to herself with a hand to her chest and gave a small bow. That seemed to calm the entities as the matron and others soon became laxed in their posture.

Leli leaned over to Sofie who watched on; "How did your mother do that?" she questioned in a hushed tone.

"Mom is one the few people who learned the Spriggan language. Devotes of Kynareth know some words here and there. Trust me, getting attack one too many times by forest spirits just because you were too close gets old after a while, picking up their tongue is one of the few ways to prevent it"

Soon everyone heard a feminine whisper in the same language from the matron. Miara gave a quick nod as she looked back to the others; "Sheath your weapons now! The matron and the others won't attack us."

"Somehow I do not feel that convinced." Gin quipped fearfully.

Serana looked to her lover who stared back. Sighing the Nordic vampire put away her blade which followed their daughter; "Do as Miara says. "

Reluctantly and very slowly, they obeyed. Sten was the last one to lower his blade, being surrounded by such entities that were supernatural in nature put the qunari on edge. Magic was dangerous and needed to held on a leash, these creatures as embodiment of how chaotic the world is were proof of that.

Neria and Brianna were fascinated by these creatures; they could only wonder what kind of Fade spirits could nestle into the physical world so seemingly like these ones did. Morrigan for her part was well aware they did not come from the Fade at all. To those like Marcus, those who had grown inside cities, it all felt straight from an old fairy tale. Werewolves, forest spirits, dalish elves. Life hadn't been so complicated before, yet now that felt like a lifetime ago.

The matron lightly bent her back to look closer at the dunmer; her glowing eyes seemed to look straight into her soul. She spoke in her tongue. " _You, fleshy one. I feel in you the voice of the Sky Mother, long has it been since any of your kind spoke it_ "

" _My own existence is a complicated matter_ " Miara replied, though her companions couldn't understand a word. " _By the grace of Kyne and Akatosh, I wield the Voice. And I honor her gifts by learning your tongue_ "

" _You do not disgust me as the other fleshlings_ " The ancient matron replied. Well, leave it to the spriggans to be blunt about their disdain for anything that walked on two legs, and was made of meat. " _And you have stayed their blades when others are quick to slaughter our packs and chop down our sisters, for that, I will spare your lives_ " She tilted her head, water dripping from her still wet antlers _. "But why have you sought us_?"

" _We come seeking answers_ " Miara respectfully said, " _But may we speak in the mortal's tongue? My companions need to hear them as well_ "

The great tree spirit's face morphed into disgust, " _Must we speak in that guttural tongue_?"

"It's only polite" The dunmer replied, her words changing to the common tongue, surprising her companions.

The various spriggans looked amongst themselves, still muttering in their own tongue, unsure as to where this situation would lead. This was all very out of the norm for them, usually they would have slaughtered these trespassers already.

"...Very well" The matron conceded, speaking with her shrill voice in the tongue the other mortals would understand. "What answers do you seek?"

Alistair kept a wary eye on the Wolves and bear who are now laying down in the grove. Their eyes staring solely at the group. Then his gaze turned to Spriggans around them, and finally the matron. "This feels so surreal." he murmured quietly beside Marcus.

The former lay-sister only looked in awe at the sight Spriggans as they now move about the grove. Either conversing with each other or kept their attention to their group.

"What has defiled this forest, matron?"

The Dunmer's question was met with hisses from the other Spriggans while a snarl came from the matron. "Our sister was taken!"

"Your sister?"

The orange hue from the Matron glowed brighter. "She was taken from us and cursed, violated!" The giant Spriggan seethed.

Theron muttered to Miara; "What does this have to do with our quest? We're wasting time"

She ignored him, "How did it happened?"

"She was bound" The matron snarled, "With chains of magic and blood, forced against her will to be merged with a wolf, made an instrument of dark powers. Let loose upon mortals to carry out someone's vengeance"

"A wolf?" Morrigan frowned, "That cannot be a coincidence"

"Witherfang" Sofie's eyes widened in realization. "So, the missing spriggan here, the Lady the werewolves spoke of, Witherfang, they're all-"

"-The same entity" The Cousland finished in realization. These talk about spirits and magic went over his head for the most part, as these were subjects he had no experience with. But regardless, he could follow the logic behind this reasoning. "So, your 'sister', uh" He balked when the matron's fiery glare snapped to him, and he momentarily felt he made a mistake by speaking directly to the being. "She was taken from you, and used to create the werewolf curse, em... revered elder?" He hazarded a guess at how to call this tree spirit with the proper respect. He quickly whispered to Miara, "Well tell me that was the correct way to address her"

"The correct way is unpronounceable in the common tongue" The dunmer replied. She spared the young man from the matron's scrutiny by getting her attention once more. "Do you know who did it?"

"We..." She actually hesitated for a second, "are unsure. We never saw him directly, but the forest tells us it was one of yours" She pointed a long finger made of bark at the dalish of the group, "a painted elf"

One of us... That echoed in the elven warrior's head; "No..." He said quietly still in shock of her words; "The Dalish have always respected the forest!" his voice rose in a respectful tone as he came forward. "We would never defile this place." The young elf spoke with certainty as the matron glared at him.

"The old one lies..." Morrigan spoke up, remembering Swiftrunner's words, as Theron sharply peered her way. "Perhaps one did."

"No! Keeper Zathrian has always shown the utmost reverence for the forest!" He would have continued before Miara's hand came to his shoulder. Uncertainty shone in his eyes as he gazed back to the older elf; "It's not him."

The dunmer looked back to the matron who spoke; "Free our sister!" she and all the Spriggans chorused in unison. "Break what binds her." The Matron ordered as she lowered back into the lake; "Bring her home." Soon all became still as all the Spriggans had vanished back into the trees, the great matron descending into the lake once more, along with the wolves and bear who retreated back into the forest.

"Well," Alistair quipped as he surveyed the area; "That was an experience."

"To think such entities like them exist." Brianna shuddered with her hand to her heart; "Amazing!"

Gin slumped down with a deep long sigh; "Just glad they didn't kill us." Bran walked offering a comforting like to his hand, earning a scratch on the ear from the elf.

"We should not linger here further." Sten addressed with an edge to his voice.

Theron let out a wary breath from his mouth, quickly walking away. "I agree, we need to find Witherfang and kill it"

"Oh by the blood" Serana muttered in growing irritation, "Did you even hear what they said?"

"Yes, I heard what they said!" The dalish shouted, turning back with a heated glare on his gaze. "And I refuse to believe it" He seethed. "You people-" He stopped himself, lips pursing as he tried to reign in the anger. "You don't know Keeper Zathrian; he's highly revered amongst our people. He's done... so much for the dalish, lived longer than any us, and used all those years to protect his clans, and help any other clan when they needed aid" He huffed, lifting his arms and letting them fall against the sides of his legs. "Why do you even think he had something to do with this?"

"He did seem to know a lot about the curse and Witherfang" Marcus pointed out; remember the elf's anger when he recalled the spirit's tale.

"He's centuries old, and he did say he witnessed what happened long ago, just... not how now that I think about it" Alistair weighted in. Honestly, it seemed like Zathrian hadn't told them the whole story now that they knew more about this whole terrible situation.

"I know this is hard, Theron" Miara said placating, "But we need you to think, do you know of anything that might have happened centuries ago? Any incident about humans hurting the dalish?"

Said elf gave her the most deadpanning look he could muster, trying to make her realize the stupidity of her question with his gaze alone.

"Right..." Indeed, Miara felt stupid having said it. "But, do you know of anything specific that might have happened to his clan or to Zathrian himself?"

Theron let out a long sigh, running a hand over his dark hair. "Not... really. Every dalish clan always has bad encounters with humans. I... I did hear that Zathrian lost his family, but his clan has not been forthcoming on the details. I doubt many know what really happened." He didn't want it to be true but... the signs were all there. He was dalish; he shouldn't shy away from the truth. Even if it hurt.

"Well, we can either ask Zathrian" Sofie listed their options, "Or we can speak with this spriggan that was used to start the werewolf curse, and is now taking care of them"

Marcus crossed his arms, nodding grimly, "I doubt we'll get anything out of Zathrian"

The Dalish warrior among them took affront to that but said nothing as the group left the grove. In his heart he knew they were wrong with their baseless assumptions. One way another he would prove it to them.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Loke and Bran sniffed the ground as they traversed through the forest. All their senses were alert as they also took in the splendor of the forest. They had also noticed ruins; be they small, large, or even a simple alter that had been reclaimed by nature ages ago.

"What are all these ruins?" Leliana asked as peered to their guide.

"Elven, a city could have been here in ancient times." Theron spoke curtly while his eyes missed nothing. "But we never fully ventured out too far in the forest to really look."

Sofie whistled at the sight of a mural; "Beautiful architecture."

Her Dunmeri mother had to agree though couldn't place the style to anything from back home. The ancient elves had branched out into their own much like her people, The Snow Elves, the Maomer, or the Bosmer. And so much of it was lost... But she had to remain focused.

The hounds stopped, growling as they sensed something further ahead.

Marcus immediately held up his hand, "Careful, we're not alone"

His words soon proved to be true, as from within the ruins they saw the peculiar sight of a white wolf, whose feet were covered in vines and leaves, projecting an otherworldly aura as plants grew wherever its paws touched the ground.

Witherfang, the name Zathrian had given to the spriggan bound to the wolf.

The wolf spirit looked at them for a moment with its glowing amber eyes, locking themselves unto Miara for a moment before it suddenly let out a howl that echoed through the area, before suddenly departing into the ruins once more and vanishing from sight.

They barely had time to process what they thought, when suddenly the werewolves emerged, jumping over the edges and fallen walls of the ruins. They growled and howled, crouching as they readied themselves to attack.

"You were warned!" Swiftrunner roared, "We will not let you harm the Lady!"

"That's not why we're here!" Miara quickly said; trying to defuse the situation before it got out of hand. "We came to save her!"

"If you seek to save her then you should have brought the one who cursed her!" The alpha snarled, "Yet we see you here in her sanctuary ready for war!"

"We only seek to speak!" Marcus shouted, taking a step forward, "To understand!"

"Lies, all lies!" The werewolf was beyond reason at this point. His devotion to his Lady was absolute, such that he refused to listen, he would not allow a single threat to reach their beloved savior. "We will listen to your words no more!"

The battle seemed inevitable at this point, the great wolves readied themselves to attack, while the Wardens and their companions readied their weapons for a fight they did not want to have, but they would not hesitate to defend themselves.

Just as Swiftrunner said, no more words would be headed, so what made the werebeasts stop in their tracks was the echoing roar that far outclassed any howl any of them could ever hope to let out.

Much to the ruby dragon's annoyance there had hardly been any opening for Odahviing to keep an eye on his briinah as they roamed the forest below. Now, finally finding an opening through canopy he saw Miara surrounded by wolves of Hircine.

The great dovah roared as he swooped down from the skies. Boiling rage turned to pure fear as the werebeasts scattered as Odahviing landed close to the group. His sapphire eyes glowed with a rage and fury no werewolf could come close to match as he roared once more with his head raised. " **FUS ROH DAH**!"

Theron's seized as he witnessed was the dragon's roar sending Swiftrunner and others flying like leaves off a tree. By all the gods a dragon! Never in his life has he felt such utter fear next to learning he was tainted. What in the names of Mythal had he angered to give him this kind of luck!?

Odahviing's sudden appearance had completely caught the werebeasts off guard and in terror as they saw their alpha and few others sent flying with nothing but a roar. Their spirits were now broken as they all fled back into the largest of ruins where Witherfang fled. A wounded Swiftrunner slowly rose to his feet, growling before fleeing.

Both Miara and Marcus sighed heavily once the threat was now gone. "Well that could have gone worse." the young noble quipped.

A groan came from the Dunmer as she turned just in time so see Theron fire an arrow at her Zeymah. Said arrow only bounced off the dragon's scales as all froze. Odahviing's head turned as he felt something hit him and saw a tattooed elf holding up a bow shakily. "Was that supposed to hurt little Fahliil?"

"Creators preserve me..." The dalish warrior muttered in disbelief, "You speak!"

"Ah, at least your ears do work properly unlike your sense of self-preservation" The dragon took joy in the mortal squirming, "After all; attacking a dragon is the height of folly"

"Lay off him Odahviing" Miara droned like a scolding older sister, "He had no idea about you"

"He attacked me first" The dragon petulantly replied.

"Oh yes, and he did such devastating damage" The dunmer sarcastically waved a hand at the fallen arrow that had bounced of him harmlessly. She looked at the still shaken elf with humor in her gaze, "Bit of advice, try not to antagonize him" She patted him in the shoulder.

The act made Theron recoil, his chest rising and falling as he drew in several gasps of breath, his eyes darting between the great speaking dragon and the party who did not look all that surprised at his presence. "What in the Void is wrong with you?! What... what is this?! You know the dragon?!"

"Was that how we looked like when we first found out?" Alistair jested with a wry grin, "Wish I could have preserved that expression on a portrait"

Theron slowly shook his head, "Either you're all insane... or I went insane" It was the only possible explanation he could come up with right now.

"Theron, Theron" The gray elf spoke in an easy going fashion, approaching with a soft step. "Look, it's very complicated to explain; especially now when we have more pressing matters to attend to. But him right here?" She pointed at the ruby dragon. "He's on our side, that's all you need to know for now. The rest of the group knows; trust me it was shocking for them as well when they found out"

"Andraste, she's underselling it..." Gin muttered to himself. Leliana nodding as she remembered her, umm, freak out as Sofie called it. How Sten had zero reaction she will never know.

"And you are now a member of our little questing company, so trust me when I tell you you'll know the whole truth once we are on the road" She smiled. "Does that sound fair?"

"I..." He shifted a glance at the red dragon, he didn't like the way those serpentine azure eyes were looking at him, "suppose I have not much of an option right now. Our quest comes first" Hard as it was, he just had to put this bizarre event to the side until he knew the clans were safe. "Your group is too strange for my tastes" He bluntly said.

"Well" She patted him in the shoulder a couple of times, "Now you're part of it, better get used to it"

That was not a very reassuring feeling for the Dalish warrior. He observed the Dunmeri woman speaking to the dragon while Neria came to his side holding her staff close; "I think the rest of us are still adjusting." She turned to look up at the stone face of Sten; "I really can't tell what you're feeling, no offense."

A grunt came from the Qunari but said nothing.

Morrigan edged close to the trail that led to the Elven ruins; "The magic is strong in that place. The veil also feels thin here; we will likely encounter some demons as well as the wolves." Sofie walked up beside her who smirked; "I suppose you will find that thrilling Nord."

"Adventure and combat is in my blood." A chuckle came from the towering woman before shifting her gaze over to Theron; "We find anything of importance we bring back to the clans?"

A nod came from the Dalish; "Our focus should be the wolves and Witherfang, but that too would be appreciated greatly. From what I know no one has been to these ruins, so should be quite a bit. Once we stop all this I can tell the Keepers to send people here."

"Alright, shall we get going?" Marcus quipped as he started walking with Loke beside him.

Serana let out a long sigh; "Nothing like going into unexplored ancient ruins where dangers lurk possibly at every corner." Her lover came back to her side as they walked and Odahviing took flight once more with a gust from his wings jostling everyone. "Lovely..."

"Fun isn't it." By the blood Miara sounded almost like an excited child at their birthday. How did she fell in love with this woman she will never know.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

To the Tamrielic individuals of the company, the ancient elven ruins showed that the thedosian elves were in fact related to the rest of their kin back in Tamriel. The architecture bore a striking resemblance to the mer folk's that preserved a lot of their aldmeri forefathers' influence, such as the Altmer, Ayleid or Falmer.

Perfectly symmetrical structures, curved accents to add a much more artistic touch to the walls and pillars, yet still carried enough differences to tell it apart from the building styles of their cousins from across the sea.

While the call of dungeon crawling and plundering never failed to excite her after all these years, Miara still couldn't feel a bit saddened by the fact that much of ancient cultures were lost, their memories only remained as ruins scattered through the world. The wonders of culture crafted by people, their own identities carved into the stone. It made it all the more tragic considering the thedosian elves had fallen from grace so badly, and still endured many terrible things.

She felt like she was walking the halls of the falmeri cathedral of Auriel once more.

"Look at this" Neria eagerly pointed to Brianna at a nearby mural. "It's just like those books we read. Old elvhen fresco"

"Minimalistic but stylish" The human mage complimented.

As the rest of the group wondered at the sight of these ancient ruins, Theron took a moment to inspect an old mural depicting elves riding their hallas. They looked so free...

He closed his eyes, resting his forearm against the cold wall and placing his forehead over this one, offering a silent prayer to the gods and their ancestors.

"When this entire mess is over I'm coming back here." Miara addressed as she took in the scope of the ruins. "Not matter how subtle, traces of Aldmeris lingers." That word evoked a reaction from the three Thedosian elves as they sharply turned her way.

"Sarya brought that up to us." Theron spoke slowly as an odd recognition glowed from his eyes. "Said it was the motherland of all Elvhen."

Neria blinked in confusion which was shared by Gin; "Why do I feel I know that place, but never heard of it name till now?" The young elven mage questioned garnering a nod from Gin who was the same.

Miara gave them a mournful smile; "Because all elves remember Aldmeris, even if it's faintly. Just as many migrated from there to Tamriel, many came here to Thedas." Likely some to Akavir as well, but she had no way to know that; "Can tell you later once this is done."

The lone Qunari of the group surveyed the ruins. Nature had taken back the area as he saw enormous tree roots had broken through the marble and rooted in areas. "It will likely be difficult to maneuver in certain areas."

"Watch where you fight in this place." Marcus remarked beside Alistair; "We don't want to be stuck in a cave-in."

Sofie gazes up to a hole in the ceiling above; "Goes without saying." she murmured quietly. A sigh escaped her Nordic mother who pulled down her hood; "Feel better?"

"Good getting out of the sunlight for a while."

"Hmm..." Miara made a sound of discomfort. "This place... it feels haunted"

"Like I said, the Veil is thin here" The swamp witch explained, "As it is often the case with elven sites, this place was likely where a massacre took place. The acts, the death, the emotional impact left have the barriers between this world and the Fade weakened. So it's not odd for spirits to jump into the world, or perhaps imprints left behind by the people who lived here"

"You mean memory echoes?" Neria questioned as they advanced. "Not exactly ghosts of people, but mirages of their memories left by them, repeating themselves on a patter around their most powerful emotions and the moments they lived through"

"Demons, ghosts, memory-ghosts" The city elf grumbled, "This goes way over my head. It was simpler when I just had to kill Darkspawn"

"You'll still be killing something" Brianna pointed out. "I have little doubt that there are demons here" It was almost too easy how one could make a tear in the Veil here with the proper application of magic. A blood mage wouldn't even need to shed a single drop.

"This place most likely bodies that had been laying here for centuries, and demons eager to reach the physical world that will possess them" Neria pursed her lip. "They will be hostile, Theron"

"If they are possessed, it won't be desecrating the bodies of my ancestors" The dalish said staunchly. "It'd be liberating them"

Leliana gave a nod patting the Dalish elf shoulder; "Good attitude."

Thankfully the stairs were most intact save a massive tree branch that had broken through a section of it. Going downwards they came to a square platform which was attached to other stairs or hallways leading to other areas of the ruins.

"No splitting up." Marcus addressed the others while their mabari sniffed around. "If anything we'll likely have to sweep through most of this place."

The dragonborn agreed; "Better than being ambushed by surprise." She remarked as she drew Dragonbane. She noticed Loke and Bran peering up to all of them whimpering. "And the Werewolf scent is all over the place meaning these two can't smell them out."

Theron drew his own sword; "Then we rely on our instincts and experience."

"Ataas shokra (Glorious struggle)." Sten dryly quipped as he also drew his greatsword.

Alistair glanced to Marcus; "Which way should we try first?"

The Cousland rubbed chin before shifting left down a hall the others soon followed.

The hall kept leading them deeper down, at some points breaking off to reveal patches of earth and stone, making it look like a natural cavern. The passage extended and kept turning to the right, finding tiles and more elven construction appearing once again as they kept marching.

"I don't get it, why is this underground" Alistair muttered in confusion. "Did elves live underground too?"

Theron rolled his eyes; "This must have been only part of a much larger complex, long since destroyed or reclaimed by nature"

They had passed through bits of elven ruins while traversing the woods, so it made sense to Alistair. "Right, so maybe there was a city here at some point then?"

"Possibly" Miara threw in her two septims. "In my experience, underground ruins are the most likely to survive the passage of time. Even if the civilization in question wasn't underground dwelling, lots of constructions inside caverns, natural or artificial, aren't actually that odd, in some places they're even common, as they were used to either store things of importance, or to make crypts. Sometimes both"

"This place doesn't look like a temple, those weren't build underground" Theron weighted in. "No, it's too deep for nature to have naturally overgrown it" Centuries or not, it wouldn't have been enough time for some much earth to cover it. This place was clearly designed to go deeper. "I believe you are right, this was either a place to store something, or to bury our dead"

"Fascinating" By Morrigan's tone, they couldn't tell if she was truly intrigued or was employing her usual brand of dry wit. "But what I'd truly like to know is why have we encountered no werewolves yet? They were adamant to make sure we would not gain entrance"

"I think we can thank our scaly friend for scaring them off" Serana grinned, but she soon stopped the moment she spotted something. "But that might not be only danger" She pointed at something that made Sofie hiss and Miara to freeze.

Spider webs, far too large for them to belong to normal sized spiders.

"And this is where I leave!" Miara said in an upbeat tone that did not convey any sort of levity, quickly turning around. "Let me know how it turns out, good luck!"

Both Sofie and Serana grabbed Miara by the wrists, while a few around them were flabbergasted by her words. "Mom is terrified of spiders." Sofie growled out as she and her other mother attempted to hold the Dunmer from running away. This was no easy feat for both of them.

Theron felt his eye twitch as he deadpans; "She speaks to spirits, werewolves, and a dragon. But is horrified of spiders..." The drone in his voice being as dry as sand.

"I had a dwarven friend who was the same." Leliana remarked back with a weak shrug. Tug hated those things!

Brianna tried to appeal to the older elf; "We kill them fast they won't be a problem."

"Don't care!" Miara snarled trying to pry herself from her lover and daughter.

"Remember why we're here" Sofie said, not exactly with an encouraging tone, but rather tired. Like she had dealt with this so many times she no longer had neither the patience nor sympathy to deal with it.

"Big quest, save people, yadda, yadda, yadda" Serana was only marginally more inspirational than their daughter. "Plus, you know there's always some nice treasure every time we find spiders"

The dunmer ceased struggling, "...I'm not going to fight them" She said with finality in her voice.

"We know" Sofie and Serana droned together, getting the Dragonborn to walk with them again.

The whole thing was just bizarre and left the group giving each other weird glances.

They reached a large chamber with a high ceiling, torn walls where massive tree roots sprouted and filled plenty of the interior. But the antechamber remained mostly intact. It had a well-crafted round stone slab on the floor, decorated with swirly and circular patterns.

"I can only guess the purpose of this chamber" Theron muttered to himself, feeling humbled to be here right now. This entire complex was clearly built with a purpose in mind, he just wished to know what it was.

But his musings were cut short with an unnatural roar that filled the chamber. Sparks blazing out of nowhere on the great slab as molten rock suddenly emerged from the ground, erupting like a miniature volcano and taking the shape of a fiery monster with fire and lava making up its blob like body.

To the Tamriels, it looked like a type of flame atronach. To the thedosian mages however, the sight was familiar.

"Rage demon!" Brianna shouted. The mages quickly readied their spells, conjuring snaps of sudden cold and flailing spikes of pure along with waves of frost at the creature. The overpowering barrage was enough to freeze the creature solid.

Neria gripped staff as the arcane energy glowed from the tip; "That won't hold it for long!" To showing truth to her words the ice had already begun to crack. It was at that instant they all heard the sound of clunky metal on scraping the marble floor.

Behind the rage demon shambled forth several skeletons. Some wore ancient, broken, and rusted elven armor holding broken weapons. Others were simply skeletons, their clothes having rotted away ages ago. "Well our day just got better," Gin quipped as he held Daveth's crossbow.

As everyone prepared for battle the trio from Tamriel stared at the demonic entity encased in ice. That... That wasn't a daedra... Soon the ice shattered at the living beast of lava roared in fury. " **KILL THEM**!" It bellowed in a guttural malicious tone.

At its command the skeletons let out a disturbing wail before charging.

Theron's finger twitched for a moment that was all the hesitation he had before he readied his bow and shoot two successive arrows right into the head of the skeletons, making them fall to the ground motionlessly. He wasn't entirely sure why destroying the skulls of long dead bodies worked, but in all honestly he didn't care, all he wanted was to keep those demons from defiling the bodies of his ancestors.

Gin and Leliana joined him, letting loose bolts and arrows with great accuracy. Loke and Bran charged; their strength was enough to outright rip off the long since rotten limbs of the undead without much effort, leaving them vulnerable for Alistair and Marcus to finish them off with swings of their blade. Sten charged holding the blunt side of his blade upfront, barreling down the corpses into pieces as they fell to the floor.

Miara choose not to take out Dawnbreaker, she didn't want to hurt Serana in a random burst of the sword's holy power. But Dragonbane did the job effortlessly all the same, cutting away the skeletons rather than reducing them to ash. She and her lover, struck with blade and magic in a dance of perfect cooperation refined from years of fighting side by side, almost like dancing around each other.

As the mages once more struck with arcane energies at the great Rage demon, this one raised a wall of flames around it and launched a barraged of heat. Neria and Brianna shielded themselves with barriers, whereas Morrigan's form shimmered, her entire body shrinking and taking the form of a raven, flying across the room and once more reappearing as her regular self, attacking with a wave of ice spikes that traversed the ground and impaled the Rage demon. It howled in pain as the magical ice soon melted away into vapor. The fiery entity slithered over the ground towards the witch, Morrigan grunted and kept casting spell after spell at it but most they did was harmless impact against him. Rage demons were very common, and not exactly the most powerful in the hierarchy of spirits, but the rage left in this place but elves who had suffered many injustices had spawned a very powerful dark spirit, embodying all the anger they felt towards the people who had hurt them so much.

Morrigan readied herself to fly off again, when it was the sight of another set of wings descending fast that caught her attention. Dragon like and seemingly made of flames yet taking on a very physical look, Sofie landed between the demon and the witch, a savage grin on her face as she let the demon come close. She didn't even take out her sword as the great spirit loomed over her, raising a fiery claw to strike her down and bringing it down on her.

Sofie caught it in her hand.

Morrigan's lip slightly parted as she saw the nord holding the creature's arm in place, seemingly unbothered by the fact she was holding solid fire. Just holding her ground when the demon struck with the other arm and caught it as well.

Then Sofie began to change.

Not like Morrigan had done, her body hadn't suddenly become something else. But rather her entire body was developing unnatural features. It was subtle at first, the taut muscles in her arms that struggled against the demon's strength bulged further, her skin developing scale-like markings that became all the more noticeable with every second, until thin scales seemed to sprout from her skin like chainmail, the bulging veins in her bicep glowed with fire, becoming lava-like as they traversed through her limps.

The emerge of the scales stopped just as it was beginning to reach her neck, leaving the sides of her jaw with the faint markings that could pass off as war paint, all the while the nord's blue eyes glowed, the pupils becoming two draconic slits.

Sofie let go one of the demon's arms, and punched it in its fiery face. The demon staggered back and fell to the ground. "Is that the peak of your 'rage' demon!? I haven't enjoyed myself yet!" The Nordic woman's voice was deeper and bestial.

Boiling was the anger from the demon as it rose with a roar and breathed out stream of fire. Morrigan was wise enough to shift back into a raven to fly away as the flames hit the Nordic warrior.

"Sofie!" Leliana cried out in both shock and fear. The fear now proving unfounded as the flames did nothing to the towering woman who charged the demon by slamming her fist once more to its face; "What in the Maker's name..." her voice in awe as she saw human and demon raise their fist at one another.

A chuckle came from Serana as she slashed through several skeletons. "Been a while since our girl used that." She quipped beside her lover who smiled back.

"What the hell is that!?" Theron cried out not sharing their enthusiasm. "Is Sofie possessed!?"

"Far from it lad." Miara addressed punching a skeleton's skull off.

Dodging a swipe from the demon claws Sofie grabbed the extended arm and pulled it off with her pure strength. The Fade beast roared out in pain before being kicked in the gut with a fist to its lower jaw as it leaned forward, sending it flying back into a wall.

The nord did not relent, blow after blow descended upon the great Rage, glowing fiery ichor splattering across the wall, the creature's physical body dimmed, and slowly losing its shine as the flames kept dying down.

With a fierce battle cry, the nord drove her fist through the Rage's chest, the burning matter that made up its body lacked any sort of organs or bones, but the sustained damage that had chipped away its life force was finally too much. The Rage turned to stone around Sofie's arm and crumbled to dust.

The last of the skeletons were finished off, leaving many an impressed Thedosian to look at Sofie slack jawed.

"Well that was... something" Alistair muttered.

"Exhilarating it's what it was" Brianna muttered in a tone that Neria had trouble deciphering. And was that a purr she let out?

Miara and Serana exchanged an amused look as they could swear Leliana was about to swoon herself.

Theron tentatively asked; "How exactly did you do that?"

"Oh" Sofie smirked not so humbly as her muscles relaxed, the veins of fire and scales receding back into her skin, her eyes returning to normal as well. "That's what happens when you drink dragon blood"

"You're a Reaver?" The Qunari questioned.

"Oh you have something like that here too?"

"We call them Dragonknights in Tamriel," Serana explained to the Dalish warrior, Qunari, and former lay-sister. "But they don't drink the blood of dragons, rather they use magics inspired by them. Sofie here however did drink the blood of a true dragon."

A true dragon, Theron didn't fully understand that. "Feel I'm missing something." The young elf questioned.

"It's goes along with Odahviing, something I'll gladly explain once this is done." Miara promised as she strolled over to her daughter and knelt at the ebbing embers of the rage demon. Much like the dragons of Thedas, these demons also left more questions than answers. The entity literally embodied anger itself with fire and lava coming off its body. But it felt off, as if it was not a complete being.

That made no sense at all.

While the dunmer looked over the remains everyone took a quick breather while Leliana came up to Sofie. "Does... Does that hurt? Changing into that?"

"In the beginning when I was learning it. Took a long time before I reached the level I am now." And that was not easy in the least. Sofie can recall the blood, sweat, and tears she poured into mastering her skills.

Kneeling down to the now still skeletal remains Theron uttered a small prayer, hoping his ancestors know their bones were at peace now. "We're probably going run into more of these." Gin quipped at his side.

"I had that feeling to." the Dalish warrior concurred grimly. "I'll tell the clans to have these bones properly buried."

Neria came to their side; "Once we clear the place of demons and werewolves that will make it safer."

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

They continued forth. And as they traveled further into the inner sanctum they run into small pockets of possessed corpses that were swiftly dispatched of. Along with some giant spiders that, much to the amusement and/or chagrin of some Thedosian, Miara completely avoided, choosing instead to hide behind the towering form of her eldest daughter.

"Is it over?" She dared take a peek.

"Yes!" Sofie and Serana exclaimed in exasperation.

But what came next killed all levity.

They reached another large chamber with a circular slab very similar to the one they had seen before. The chamber lead to three different directions closed off by gates. But what really caught their attention was the sudden apparition that took shape before them.

The body was small, ethereal and wisp looking, clearly a spirit, not amongst the living.

And it was just a child, an elven child

" _Mamae? Mamae na mara san_..." The fright in his voice was evident to anyone.

"Maker..." Neria muttered with growing heartache, once more reminded that this place was most likely the site of a massacre, and this child had been one of the victims.

Theron stepped forth, his eyes softer than any of them had seen before. He spoke with sympathy and sadness, "Atish'an, da'len" He held a hand in a none threatening gesture, "Vir falon"

But the ghostly child didn't seem to hear him. It reacted as though it had heard something terrifying, " _Mamae? Mamae?! Mamae!_ " The spirit bolted away in a hurry, his form slowly disappearing into wisps.

"Da'len!" Theron cried out for the spirit. His hand slowly lowering as he realized there was nothing he could do.

For a moment, everyone remained silent.

"He was crying for his mother..." The dalish muttered, lingering pain present in his voice. "I... I want follow him"

"Theron-" Marcus called out to him.

The dalish asked ever so softly, "Please"

"...Very well"

And so continued once more, following on the direction the spirit had traveled to, the silence amongst them a heavy and solemn one, nobody dared break it.

Their path split numerous times, they could only guess where the ghostly child had disappeared to. So they could only follow their instincts and explored the chambers they could, eventually they stumbled into a library, littered with ancient books. For a moment, Theron was thrilled, thinking they had stumbled upon a priceless collection of elvhen knowledge and lore, a find like this would mean so much for their people.

Inspecting the books killed his enthusiasm swiftly.

"Ruined..." He spat, looking at the damp, soft pages, any writing they had on them was barely readable. "Time has weathered them too much" He looked over and over the different books, but they all seemed to share the same poor state.

Leliana, bless her, tried to lift his spirits. "Perhaps there is one in good state we can find for your clans. I'm sure we can spare a moment to keep looking"

To Theron's surprise, the others (well, with the exception of Sten and Morrigan) were quick to agree. "Thank you..." He said sincerely from the bottom of his heart. Although being in the company of humans still bothered him somewhat, he had enough honor in him to thank them when they were acting out of the kindness of their hearts.

As the group sorted through the numerous ancient shelves Neria stood near a statue gazing down at the floor. Her head cocked as she knelt down staring at a strange white gem. Ornate with elven writing she could see what she swore looked like blood inside. Strangely she felt a strong warmth coming from it.

She could not take her eyes away from it as her hands moved down to grab it. The moment her fingers clasped the gem memories flooded into her mind. Images of battles; be they against mortal or demons a figure donned in the most beautiful robe-like armor she had ever seen. The figure moved with a grace and efficiency wielding magic in one hand and a glowing blade of pure magic attached to an ornate sword hilt.

Words could not describe the sight as the figure tore through his enemies. Within a blink that memory faded as the figure now stood before her. His golden black robe armor almost seemed to glow. Pale skin with white long hair, long elven ears sticking through them. Shock etched on his face which soon morphed into fear.

' _Please don't be scared. I won't hurt you.'_ Neria conveyed through her thoughts which seem to quell the figure. _'Who are you?'_ Once more images flooded her mind.

There was... a battle. Fierce elven forces fighting against an enemy she couldn't quite make out. But at the center of the memory where elven knights who wielded magic and blade equally. There was pride, honor, and devotion in the feelings that came with the memory.

Then there was fear, anger, and despair. A foul magic struck the knight the memory was centered around, and this is where he ended up.

 _'You were a warrior'_ Neria thought in realization.

More images, the word became clear and she soon understood its meaning. Dirth'ena Enasalin; Arcane Warrior, a mage who employed martial arts alongside spells to fight. They were outstanding engines of war that cut a path in the battlefield no matter who the enemies were. The elven mage thought of the Knight-Enchanters, and came to the conclusion that this ancient elven art was where their craft was inspired.

She could feel indignation and disgust from the gem from that thought, so she quickly apologized.

 _'Is there any way I can help you?'_ Sympathy and compassion gripped her heart, and she felt the blazing spark of hope emanating from the gem. It begged for freedom, to join his ancestors' spirits. She was shown images of the gem shattering, and she understood what she had to do, it also promised to reward Neria with the knowledge of the ancient elven martial art. _'I need no reward; I know this is the right thing to do'_

There was a wave of humbleness, and offered the reward all the same. Not out of desperation, but gratitude.

Neria thought about it for a moment. It wouldn't be the first time she received knowledge directly into her mind before. That spirit in the Fade (oh what was her name? Saria, Sanya or something), gave her the knowledge of the light spear that vanquished demons and corruption equally. Besides, this was a chance to recover ancient elven knowledge; this could greatly benefit the dalish clans.

 _'I accept'_

The soul let out a flare of joy, and she felt its essence entering her mind.

There she had more flashes of memory not of her own. Visions of battle spells, martial techniques her body couldn't hope to replicate. Shining armor of elven knights, blades of pure arcane energy. Words in a language she wasn't entirely familiar with before, they now possessed extreme clarity to her, as though she had learnt the words in her sleep.

Then, it was over; the soul had nothing more to offer.

Neria smiled softly, _'I hope you find peace'._

And with a flare of her mana, she shattered it.

"What was that?" Miara asked, turning sharply, dropping another ruined book on a pile. "I felt a spark of magic"

"Same here" Brianna added, followed by nods from Serana and Morrigan. "Did you find something Neria, something with magic in it?"

Neria perked up as she spun on her heels and fully stood. She displayed the pieces of the broken gem as the Dunmer and her longtime friend came over. "The soul of an ancient Dirth'ena Enasalin was trapped inside this gem."

That name drew Theron's attention; "An arcane warrior?"

Neria gave a nod; "I freed him and in return he gave me all the knowledge and skills of that old art!" She spoke brightly as she felt genuinely excited to fully master all that was given to her.

Her enthusiasm was not shared by the others, Theron especially; "What?!"

"There was a soul here" She motioned excitedly to the broken remains of the gem. "An elf, and ancient warrior from long ago!" She felt as though she was first learning theory under Irving again, all this knowledge fresh in her mind, but it was like she had always known it and never understood it until now. "He showed me what he was, a knight, who wielded magic. It's like the Knight-Enchanters, Brianna!"

Her friend did not look so thrilled, "Neria why didn't you tell any of us what you were doing?"

"Oh I know, I'm so sorry. It's just, the knight must have been here for so long" She said apologetically, looking down at the gem, not realizing one of their companions was walking closer to her at a hurried gait. "I felt so bad for him, I just wanted to..." She stopped the moment she felt someone standing less than a foot from her, and looked up to see the very angry face of Theron. "...to help"

"Why didn't you say anything?" He demanded.

"I-"

"Do you even realize what you took?" The elf seethed, gesturing at the gem. "That was... That was forgotten knowledge, from an actual ancient elf that lived who knows how long ago. And you just took it"

"I-I didn't steal it" The young woman tried to defend herself, "I just wanted to help the knight"

"What you did was take something that doesn't belong to you" The hunter said bitingly. "You didn't stop for a second of consulting the only dalish here about it? Or about taking the gem to the clans?"

"Enough" Brianna pushed the dalish away from her friend, "She didn't do anything wrong. And why are you so angry? She's an elf too, she's not a human stealing your history"

"She may not be" Theron conceded, "But did she stop to think how she could share the knowledge that is now only in her mind?"

That... honestly had not occurred to Neria.

"Thought so" The dalish ruefully sneered. "Whether she wanted to do the right thing or not is irrelevant, she didn't consider the consequences of her action" He looked at Neria with contempt. "You are an elf, Neria Surana, but you are not dalish. You have not toiled, sacrificed, or suffered like the clans have. You had no right to take what wasn't yours"

Neria blinked rapidly avoiding his gaze, unable to hold back the guilty tears escaping her eyes.

Most of her companions gave her a sympathetic look before glaring at the dalish, who merely let out a snort and began pacing at the library's entrance, uncaring whatever things they would think or say behind his back, trying to calm himself down.

"I just wanted to help..."

"Your heart was in the right place, Neria" Miara said with a soft comforting tone, placing her hands upon her shoulders as Brianna tenderly rubbed her back. "But you were very naive, you had no idea this soul was telling you the truth. It could have been manipulating you for all you knew"

"B-But I felt it, his emotions, his memories..."

"And what if they were lies, illusions. We both know better," Brianna remarked in a calm but reprimanding tone.

A more understanding gaze came from the older elf; "The emotions from the spirit overwhelmed you didn't they?" The younger elf nodded in shame. The earliest lessons taught to a mage were to be wary and suspicious of spirits. Those basics were pounded endlessly into their heads. "Emotions can do that for anyone. You should have told us, Neria, so we could have made sure it was safe" Miara's voice being warm and maternal.

"I... understand." Neria murmured before being patted on the cheek by the gray skinned elf who grinned. "Things are just so different out here than the Circle."

"You'll learn." Miara reassured her with a grin from Brianna.

"Theron." The elven warrior shifted his impatient gaze towards her "The knight showed me where his armor and weapon is buried."

A low grunt came from the Dalish elf; "Well that's a start." He stated before leaving the room.

Alistair shook his head while the others kept their judgement quiet. A low bitter glare came from Gin as he walked up beside Neria, Miara, and Brianna. "If he thinks the dalish have it worse than those living in the Alienages I'd love to show him Denerim." He growled before strolling away.

Marcus shook his head, letting out a tired sigh as he rubbed his neck. He softly called to the elven mage; "Are you okay?"

"Um, yeah" The young elf replied, "Yes, I'm fine. It's just, I never had anyone be so angry at me before... Well aside from you that time" She weakly laughed at the memory.

"That time you needed a wakeup call, and you needed to be ready for the battlefield. Which I'm happy to say you learnt" The noble spoke with a sincere smile. "I'm not going to pretend Theron was completely justified in talking to you like that, but I can understand where he's coming from. To have your entire history constantly taken and discarded, every day facing all kinds of hardships. Someone with a privileged life like myself can't possibly know what it's like"

"Funny" Brianna said honestly, "You never come across like someone who has always been privileged"

"Because I was taught there is a responsibility to my lineage, a duty" He nodded to the dalish walking further ahead, "Theron also has one such duty, like all dalish have, one they take extremely seriously"

"The elves here walk a very difficult path" Miara agreed, "To say they are sensitive about preserving their culture is a massive understatement"

As they approached their destination guided by Neria's instructions. They witnessed another ghostly apparition, this time of an elven woman entering a large chamber phasing through the wall. Many of them already came to the conclusion this could be the mother of the ghostly elven child.

"The mother and child" Neria recalled sadly, "The Arcane Warrior died protecting them..."

They quickly picked up the pace, and witnessed a great chamber whose purpose soon became clear as they took in the details. As with many parts of these ruins, they were giant roots piercing through stone and earth, and around a great circular platform stood the status of elves in armored plates unlike any type they had seen the dalish wear before, illuminated by braziers they saw one single rectangular object in the middle of the circular area, the status poised to face it directly, almost in reverence.

A sarcophagus.

"This is where he is buried... where they buried him" Neria spoke as the apparitions manifested again, this time next to the tomb. The mother and child, embracing tightly as they gazed upon the tomb with sadness in their ethereal eyes.

Theron slowly approached, and the spirits became wary of him, becoming agitated. He raised his hands in a placating manner before bowing with a hand to his chest.

He spoke in the dalish tongue, broken as it was with so much knowledge they had lost. "Ancient ones, I come before you with humility, seeking the honored one's armaments"

The ghosts stared at him cautiously and in confusion, as though the only thing that kept them from panicking was the shape of his ears.

Theron bit back a curse, "They can't fully understand me, a lot of our own language is missing..."

"Let me try" To his surprise, Miara came to his side. "Let's see how well old ehlnofex translates to thedosian elven" She cleared her throat and spoke in a tongue that the others Thedosians couldn't understand in the least, with the exception of Theron who could only pick up a few words, making it sound like broken sentences to him. "We found the soul of the man who protected, he is free now"

All elven and human language descended from the ancestral Ehlnofey, it was a gamble as Miara was unsure how much divergence has happened since Aldmeris Elves came to these lands. But at the basic foundation of their language, it should still be understood at some level.

And to everyone's relief the ghosts seem to understand as their fear morphed to gratefulness. "They understood," Leliana spoke with hope. Soon the mother spoke several words before she and her child vanished. "What did they say?"

"Thank you." Miara and Theron chorused as the young elf sighed; "Ma serannas." He gave a nod to the older elf; "Now they can rest."

The Dunmer glanced at him before peering back to Neria; "The knight said we can have his armor?"

"Yes, and his weapon as well."

Walking over to the sarcophagus Miara rested her hand on the lid. She quietly spoke a Dunmeri prayer before sliding it open. Theron and the others came to her side as the lib fell to the side and the dust settled. There within rested the bones of the ancient warrior with his armor still on. Beside him was an ornate sword hilt.

"Gods be praised..." An absolutely thrilled smile slowly formed on the dalish's lips. "Ancient elven plate"

The armor was majestic, a shining bronze in coloration that didn't seem to have lost any of its luster. With layered pauldrons, fine cloth intertwined between the armor segments on the arms, wrapping around the chest plate area and the collar with leather straps crossing diagonally over the area. Long armored gauntlets and leggings with chainmail in between, hanging on the front and the back of the armor like a long loincloth or a waist cape, the pants strapped in with a thick leather belt. The armor was so masterfully design they could see multiple carvings added in for decoration, to fully bring the armor's splendor.

"A fine armor" Sten acknowledged matter of factly.

"Wow, for Sten to get so emotional you know this thing's good" Sofie jested, elbowing the qunari who didn't even budge.

Alistair whistled in appreciation, "So this is what ancient elven craftsmanship is like. Very nice indeed"

"We've lost so much..." Theron spoke, voice thick with emotion. "Even how to make this type of armor. Yet here I am seeing it, touching it" He said with great reverence as the tips of his fingers slowly traced the chest plate. "This armor was worn by a great elven knight" A hero, forgotten perhaps, but he would make sure his legacy would live on.

"I'm not much of an expert" Morrigan flatly sneered, "But aren't swords supposed to have a blade?" She said, pointing at the sword hilt next to the body.

"I... will admit it is odd" The dalish slowly said, reaching out for the blade part in question.

Picking it up with reverence Theron brings it out. He took the time to admire the incredible detailing but cocked a brow at the place were a sword is supposed to be; "Well..." He paused before gazing over to Neria; "What did you see in the memories?"

Walking over the young elven mage stared at the hilt. She thought for a moment as she recalled the memories; "The warrior used magic to create the blade."

"Well that is interesting." Serana quipped in a curious manner.

"May I see?" Miara asked garnering the others attention. Hesitant, Theron handed the hilt to the Dunmer. Her crimson eyes took in everything before concentrating her magical energy into it. In that instant a blade of pure silver energy rose like a beacon. Theron and the other gasp as the blade shined so brightly it was almost blinding for a moment.

As their eyes adjusted everyone stared in awe. "Beautiful," Morrigan being the first out of all them spoke with a sheer amazement in her voice.

"But..." Neria murmured as her eyes stayed on the blade; "When the knight used it was another color."

"Must have been the color of his magic" Miara absently replied, almost too entranced with the construct in her hand. A blade made of pure arcane energy, and it wasn't a bound weapon summoned from Oblivion, this was something created by not just the materials were in the blade, but also by a wave of complex enchanting matrix that channeled pure raw arcane power that solidified into this edge of light.

For a moment, it reminded Miara of the Sword-Singer spirit blades, but those were constructs created purely from the soul, they were much more intimate than the weapon in her hand. And though it most likely lacked the versatility and esoteric abilities a Sword-Singer could cast through their blades, this weapon could be wielded by nearly anyone. These Arcane Warriors were mage knights in every sense of the word, and made sure it was reflected even in their weaponry.

She nearly salivating at the thought of tinkering with this item and discovering its secrets, finding out the correct process of building such a distinguished weapon to fit this far more advanced age of theirs.

Miara swung the blade, joy dancing in her red eyes with the chirping magical sound it produced. "Can I take this, please?"

"...How about no?" Theron deadpanned.

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Gathering the pieces of the armor took a bit of time as they made certain the bones of the arcane warrior was not damaged. The armor looked as if it was newly forged, and as light as leather. Placing the lid back on the sarcophagus they placed the pieces there. Miara remarked they can gather the pieces once they dealt with the Witherfang. Though Serana literally had to pry the sword out of her lover's hands.

"You can look at it back at the Dalish camp." The Nordic vampire was dressing down Miara like a child.

After the group pressed further into the ruins. Going downwards there were thankfully not many more encounters of demons, undead, or spiders. They took in the sight of a few murals and statues they found as they roamed deeper, Theron remarking some of statues being the Thedosian elven gods.

Miara took careful interest in the brief detailing of said deities till all stopped in a large room where several Werewolves stood. In a flash the group readied for battle till a gray wolf raised a claw hand; "Peace! We did not come here for battle." He spoke in a guttural tone.

The Dunmer took lead beside Marcus and Theron; "Your actions outside begged to differ." Remarked the young nobleman.

The wolf said nothing as he stared at Miara; "Gray one. The Lady wishes to speak with you and your comrades. There will be no fighting; we have no desire to face down your dragon."

A few protested as the Dragonborn took a few steps near the werebeasts; "Then take us to her."

With a soft growl, the werewolf waved with his long claw to follow them. The Wardens and their allies did not let their guard down even for a second; everyone stayed on their toes and kept a hand near their weapons in case things took a turn for the worst.

Further into the chambers they went, and they began to notice all manner of plants and moss growing all over the walls, as if trying to build hanging gardens inside the ancient ruin, trying to return it to nature, giant roots of trees that laid far above in the surface pierced through the ceiling and intertwined with each other.

They neared the final chamber, where most of the werewolf pack laid. There had to be dozens upon dozens of them, crouching or standing atop the different levels of the chamber, looking down at their 'guests'. Soft growls and a few warning barks promised them that if they were do harm their pack or their beloved lady, there would be consequences.

And there, standing next to the unmistakable figure of Swiftrunner, stood the one they had come to seek. Greenish bare skin, limbs made out of vines and roots, long silky black hair, and equally dark eyes that were almost dark void if not for the hints of irises and pupils.

The so called Lady of the Forest, the long lost sister of the spriggans.

She looked at them with an unreadable expression, while some like Leliana could only gaze in wonder, thinking of all the possible lyrics and poems she could write about the spirit's humanoid beauty, others felt unnerved like they had with the spriggans in the forest, as this being was far from a mortal. It had no reason to follow their mindset.

The fact that she commanded the loyalty and devotion of so many dangerous beasts did not help matters.

"This was a mistake..." Theron muttered, holding himself from reaching his bow.

"Relax" Miara whispered, "Let me talk first" She approached, just a few steps so she wouldn't be that far apart from her group and wouldn't be taken as a threat. With a hand to her heart, she spoke with respect; "Fair winds to you, child of Kyne"

The Lady of the Forest tilted her head, those black eyes staring intently at the gray skinned elf, measuring her. Her lips softly parted, her expression morphing to one of realization. "Ahh I see" With a rooted hand to her forehead, she greeted back. "I greet you as well. Though mortal you look, I feel you are anything but"

That garnered a few questioning looks from her Thedosian comrades. "True, and while I would love to speak candidly with you. We are pressed for time."

"Indeed, there is much going on I fear you are not aware of."

Swiftrunner, despite injuries snarled fiercely; "Do not listen to her my Lady. Whatever she is she will betray you!"

"Hush, this being's power is far beyond anyone of us. If she decided, she could slaughter everyone you wanted to save. Is that what you want?" The lady's voice rebuked in a calm stern melodic voice.

At that the alpha relented and knelt beside his mistress; "I want none of us to die this day."

"Then why did you attack the Dalish?!" Theron's anger boiled as he marched beside Miara. "What grievance has there been to do such a thing?!"

The Lady's gaze turned to the young warrior; "Because our rage would no longer be contained. But we set it aside because now words must be said. And hidden truths must be told."

"We encountered your sisters." the dunmer addressed getting the matter on topic; "They stated you were taken long ago."

A nod came from the lady; "I was. Taken and stripped to be a mere tool of vengeance. By Zathrian."

The words fell upon the dalish like hammer upon the anvil, "No... I refuse to believe it" He said staunchly. "Why would he have had to?"

A frown formed on the Lady's brow. "A common reason that compels all men to do terrible things; Revenge"

"Revenge?" Marcus muttered unnerved, very familiar with that desire. "Against whom?"

"Humans of course" The spirit said as though that was the most obvious thing in the world. "Do elves have any other enemies?"

The noble fell silent, exchanging a few uncomfortable looks with others from their group. Theron, despite his belief in the Keeper who was so respected by many dalish clans, let the spirit speak. Keeper Zathrian was... old, very old. And tragedies at the hands of humans were far too common amongst their kind, if even what part of it was true then...

"Zathrian came to these woods, centuries ago" The Lady of the Forest solemnly recalled the tale. "Full of sorrow and rage, all creatures of the forest could feel the pain he felt inside" Her voice was melancholic, as if she still felt compassion for the man despite what she ordered her pack to do. "I approached him, for I had never seen a mortal feel so much, I was used to them just passing through our forest. Zathrian though... I never knew mortals could be so full of emotions"

Her eyes soon became angered, "And in that moment of curiosity, he seized me with magic and blood, bound me to the body of a wolf. He used my ties to nature and the essence of a wolf, to punish the humans who wronged him, turned them in to the beasts he saw them as"

"...What did these humans do?" Theron asked his voice barely above a whisper.

Surprisingly it was not the Lady who told him, it was Swiftrunner, but what truly took them all aback was how solemn he sounded. Like there was sympathy beneath all that animalistic rage. Yet what he said was what truly horrified him. "He had children, dearly beloved children. A daughter, entering the cusp of adulthood, and a son, young but dutiful... Humans attacked his clan once, and they took his children"

Theron could feel his stomach drop, as did many others, for they suspected with disgust and trepidation the fate that had befallen Zathrian's family.

"The son, they killed. The daughter... they raped. And she took her own life, when she discovered she was with child"

Horror etched in the eyes of all as those words were spoken. Neria, Brianna, and Leliana cupped their mouths as they gasped. A whimper came from both mabari who understood what was said, even Sten showed brief anger in his eyes if only for a moment. Alistair cursed as he shook his head in disgust. A snarl came from Serana alongside Sofie who reigned in their fury.

Miara's eyes grew in both horror and understanding. The Thalmor had incurred her unbridled rage when they did the one thing that spelled the end of their tyranny. Beside her, Theron appeared numb by those words. While he knew Zathrian had lost family, he had no idea how horrible a tragedy it had been. To have your own children taken from you in such a way.

"H-he... couldn't have defiled the forest to do such a thing." Even saying those words they held not conviction. Only loss held in his tone.

A dry look came from the one person unbothered by the conversation; "Are you that truly blind?" Morrigan remarked with apathy; "The truth is laid bare and you still deny it? Your Keeper had violated the forest to reap vengeance."

Theron glared back heatedly at the swamp witch before turning back to the lady who gazed at him; "If you truly do not believe my words. Ask Zathrian himself. But know our rage will not be contained until Zathrian lifts the curse"

"For three hundred years any human who has ventured to this forest has become cursed to be the beasts before you." Swiftrunner growled out; "All those who had harmed Zathrian's children are dead. Let the curse end and free us from a crime none of us ever committed."

"Well this is a damn mess." Gin murmured with a long sigh.

"Why attack us then?" The dalish demanded, "Was it revenge against Zathrian?"

"In part" The Lady of the Forest admitted. "I long to reunite with my sisters, but so long as Zathrian has me bound that is denied to me. The humans he cursed are long dead, yet he allows the curse to spread through the binding he put me under, forcing me to turn more mortals I find into werewolves. I believed that if I pressured him to act, he would undo his curse" She said, "I see his hatred outweighs his love for his clan"

"Zathrian will not act, that much is clear" Swiftrunner growled, "We will have this curse end, one way or another"

Theron's hands tightened, his knuckles going white. He reigned in his anger by taking a deep breath before looking into the Lady's dark eyes once more. "What if... What if we bring Zathrian here? Persuade him to undo his binding?"

The spirit pondered on his words, "If you do so. You must know that he will resist at every opportunity, it is not just for his vengeance, and the curse that binds me is what keeps him alive as well"

A shocked gasp escaped Neria's lips, realization dawning on her. "Of course... That is how he's lived so long. The blood magic binding he used, he must have tied you to his own life force, so long as you live then so does him"

"He never recovered the elven immortality..." Theron spoke with disappointment.

"But wait" Sofie frowned, realizing something important. "If the curse ends, then Zathrian will die... as will you" She looked at the Lady with wide eyes.

"Death is not the same to me as mortals" The Lady said, "This life, my experiences, it will all be like a dream. Fragments of which shall remain in my next life. It is true that I will lose a bit of myself... but I miss my kin oh so dearly, living separated from them is unbearable"

"Doesn't death scare you in any way?" Alistair muttered, "You still said you would lose a part of yourself"

"All things die" The spriggan merely replied, "Such is the way of things"

And from death, life is reborn anew. Such is the cycle; everything that this Spriggan is now will be gone. And a new daughter of Kyne will be born to the world. Miara understood; "We will convince Zathrian to come here and break the curse."

The lady's lips dawned a grateful smile; "Once I am dead, take my heart to my sisters. They will know what to do." A deep low mournful whine came from all the Werebeasts at her words; "Do not mourn for me, you all shall be free from this curse as I will be."

Miara turned to the others while the Lady conversed with Swiftrunner; "Now all we need to do is convince Zathrian to break the curse..." There was a mild draw in her voice; "Like that will be easy."

"Even with his clans being tormented by the curse he created?" Leliana questioned.

"You would be surprised how much someone would allow something when hate and anger grip their heart." Serana retorted back mournfully.

Brianna sighed with a hand to her hip; "So how do we change his mind?" Her gaze turned to Theron who stared in no particular direction. "What do you think?"

She was met with silence by the young warrior. His mind clouded by confusion. Did Keeper Zathrian actually do this? Defile a nature spirit just to reap vengeance. Not that it was unwarranted given what happened. But how he went about it, if what the lady said was true. Everything that has befallen the clans right now was Keeper Zathrian's fault.

Alistair scratched his head in befuddlement; "Feel a bit out of my depth here."

"Isn't that a normal occurrence for you?" Morrigan jested earning a glare from the former Templar.

Sten, who had been quiet as a statue peered to Marcus; "This mattered should be settled with due haste."

"Agree with the big guy." Sofie remarked crossing her arms which made the Qunari grunt.

They were right, no more delays, they needed to reach Zathrian and fast. Perhaps if she traveled herself, but Whirlwind Sprint only gets you so far in a terrain as dense as this forest. Perhaps if she summoned Shadowmere then-

"There is no need"

All gazes snapped back to the entrance, the werewolves growled and howled in rage as the reason for their curse appeared. Zathrian strolled into the room, seemingly uncaring of how many claws and fangs eager to rip him to shreds were present. He merely tapped his lyrium infused staff against the ground with each step in a calm and collected gait. His eyes bore directly into the Lady of the Forest, ignoring every else.

"Keeper Zathrian" Theron exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I feared it was only a matter of time before you discovered the truth of her identity, and I see my fears were well founded. I should have known you would up to your tricks, spirit" The ancient Keeper said, "Have you swayed them with your honeyed words?"

Swiftrunner, true to his name, moved faster than any of them could react. In but a moment, he had sidelined the group and stood up to Zathrian, drawing to his full height to further show the difference in size between the elf and him. "She is the Lady of the Forest! You will show respect!"

Zathrian stared up at the werebeast unimpressed, "You have taught them speech again, spirit. Try as you might, you cannot disguise the fact they are beasts"

"Swiftrunner, please" The Lady asked in a gentle voice.

The werewolf soon relaxed his stance, and faithfully returned to his side. "As you wish, my Lady"

"Hmph, you have them well tamed" He glared at the Wardens and their allies, "Is this how you Wardens honor your promises? Why do you entertain her whims?"

"Because we know the truth now, Zathrian" Marcus stepped forward, his eyes staring piercingly at the mage. "We know what you did"

"You accuse me" He slammed the end of his staff against the cold floor, "But if you know the truth, you should know what was done to my son, to..." He drew a shaky breath, his eyes closing momentarily before glaring at them once more, the pain in them still as fresh as it was so long ago. "To my daughter. How many times do you believe you humans have done this to my people? For how long have your kind hunted us?" He seethed, "Too long... My vengeance is justice"

"Not all humans-"

"Yes, yes, not all humans wish for my kind to suffer. So a few among you have honor, it changes not the fact that most of you are nothing but vile, bloodthirsty, beasts" He spat. No longer was he hiding the hate, the sheer anger he felt toward humanity any longer under the pretense of civility. This was Zathrian as he truly was, a man filled with pain and loathing. "So into beasts, I turned them"

"Keeper Zathrian" Theron was aghast, heartbroken that such an honored figure had done all this. "But you are a Keeper, you taught your clan to honor the forest and the spirits, and yet-"

"Your father was a Keeper too, Theron" His voice lost a bit of its edge. "I knew him; to say he was an outstanding man does not do him justice... And yet humans took him from you, before you could even remember, you of all people should understand my motives"

"So..." Miara soon spoke as she marched towards the keeper. "You justified your vengeance by defiling the forest. Violating her." She pointed to the Lady before stopping a foot away from him; "Bound her to a wolf and used her to stay alive all years. And marking any human with your curse." A cold edge resonated in her tone as she glared with fury.

Zathrian stood defiant; "You are a parent as I was. What would you have done if someone harmed your son, your daughters?" Anger reflected back in his gaze. "Besides sick that pet dragon of yours on them." So he had seen Odahviing…

His words struck a deep chord in the Dunmer as anger shook her entire form before releasing out a shuddered breath; "I would have slaughtered all those responsible." A nod came from the old Keeper as he walked around her. After what she had done in the past, the mistakes she made, her sins… she had no right to judge Zathrian.

"But the people who harmed your children are long dead." Neria reasoned.

"Yet humanity still shuns, violate, and condemn us just for being elves. Before being taken to the Circle you lived an alienage did you not Neria Surana? As well as you Gin Tabris." His eyes turned to the city elf. "What have the humans done to you there?"

"I'll be the first to admit I'm not a fan of most Shems. But that goes only to those who have done us wrong." Gin declared with a frown. "What you've done, can't you see how it affected everything?"

Zathrian gripped his staff tightly; "All I can see are the bodies of my children and the hate when looking at the shemlem." The anger and mourning mixed as he spoke; "Their futures taken away by humans, who toyed with them, tortured them, just because they thought they were in right to do so, just because they were elves..."

"But, the clans" Theron said between a pause, "they are suffering right now..."

"Because of these beasts" The Keeper pointed his staff accusingly at the werewolves. "Please, Theron, do the right thing. Help me end this once and for all"

The hunter's eyes narrowed slightly, "Giving you the heart, it won't end the curse will it? You'll just transfer it to something else; there will be werewolves who will spread it"

"It's what they deserve" Zathrian seethed, his frown twisting into a scowl. "My vengeance is eternal"

The elven hunter could only stare at the Keeper with disappointment and disgust, slowly shaking his head. He gazed at the Lady of the Forest, who throughout it all remained calmed despite how fast the situation was deteriorating. To his companions, whom he was meant to follow in their quest to save not just this human nation, but all the lives in it, this included elves.

And finally, he looked at Zathrian, who was meant to be the embodiment of everything great about the dalish, and saw him for what he truly was.

"I dislike humans" Theron bluntly stated, ignoring the wince he drew from some of his companions. "How could I not, after all they did to us? But this... this isn't about holding our grudges to humanity; it's about what you've done. You threw away your believes as a Keeper, you brought this curse on us all"

"It was these beasts-!"

"It was you!" Theron pointed a finger accusingly at the Keeper, the candor in his voice raging as a wildfire. "You let this happen to our people because you value your pain over them!"

"How dare you?!" Zathrian spat through clenched teeth, "You have no idea how much I've done for my clan, for the dalish people!"

"It's clear to me now what you're willing to do for your revenge. Our clans are suffering from something you could have fixed already, but refuse to out of hate for long dead humans. Your hate holds more room in your heart the love for our kin"

The Keeper crossed the distance between them in a heartbeat, his eyes blazing red with the power of his blood magic. "I would do anything for my clan!"

Theron met his gaze without flinching, "No, you would do anything for your hate. That is what you truly treasure"

"Why, you foolish and naive-"

"If you truly cared for your clan, for our people" The anger in his voice slowly softened, replaced by a pleading desperation. "Then please, Zathrian, I beg of you... spare them of this pain. There are those who will lose sons, daughters, parents, if you keep on like this. You will take them from their families, like yours was taken from you"

A shuddering gasp escaped the Keeper's lisp, the magic in his eyes vanishing, revealing eyes that belonged to a suffering man. "I am... far too old to have mercy. All I can see are the faces of my children"

Slowly, Theron placed a hand upon his robed chest, right over his heart. "Then remember the faces of your clan, the people who have looked up to you for guidance for so long"

Lanaya, Mithra, Sarel, Varathorn, Elora, and many more. He had known most of them since they were children, since their parents were children. So many faces that had aged before his eyes while his remained unchanged.

His beloved kin, who looked up to him.

His people, whom he had left to suffer just for his need of vengeance.

Zathrian let out an explosive breath, finding his legs to be very weak. He clung to his staff as he fell to one knee; Theron hurriedly placed his hands on him so he wouldn't fall. The Keeper felt tired, so very tired and old...

"You win..." He brokenly said, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. "While I can never forgive the humans... I won't let our people suffer because of my rage."

A small collective sigh escape them as Theron helped the old Keeper stand. Zathrian's eyes were hollow, empty save for his pain and regret as his tears cascaded down. Rubbing his eyes he patted the young elf's shoulder; "Adras would have been proud of you." Once those words left his lips the keeper made his way to the Lady.

Swiftrunner and the other werebeasts were ready for any treachery. But the old elf just stared solely at the Spriggan he had forcefully bound for his vengeance. "For... What I did to you spirit. I am truly sorry." His voice conveying sincerity as he bowed his head to her.

"I never cared for mortals before" The Lady softly spoke, "But meeting you, Zathrian, meeting all the mortals I cursed over the centuries, I discovered how much you can feel. There is hate, rage, greed in you, and pain drives you to do horrible things… but that pain was born because of how much you loved your family" She smiled, "You mortals are filled with so many emotions, I hope in my next life what remains of me will share what I learnt with my sisters"

"You… shame me, spirit" The Keeper humbly replied; "I am just an old man, who has lived for far too long…"

"Do not be afraid" The spriggan soothingly said. "Death and life are part of the cycle of nature, from our death, life will sprung anew"

His choice made, his demons faced, Zathrian readied himself to end it all at long last.

Gripping his staff with both hands, Zathrian raised it high as an arcane circle appeared under him and the Spriggan. As he brought it down the circle cracked and faded before re-surging into a violent burst of light.

Nothing of them remained, the Lady was branches and vines on the ground, save for her glowing heart. Zathrian's body was gone, only ashes on his clothes remained, as if all his centuries had suddenly caught up to him in an instant.

Swiftrunner and all the werewolves howled in mourning as they stood by the Spriggan's now dead form. Theron quickly ran to the Keeper's remains.

Miara closed her eyes with a heavy sigh; "It is done..."

The werewolves growled and whined as their forms began to shift, shrinking as the fur fell off their bodies, snouts retreating into normal mouths, their long muscular limbs becoming normal and hairless. To those unfamiliar with werewolves the whole thing must have looked like their transformation but in reverse, as they were actually returning to their true forms.

What remained were not the tall beasts plagued by animalistic fury. But a group of normal looking humans and elves who stared at each other in wonderment, uncaring that they were all naked.

"Oh Maker..." Neria quickly covered her eyes and turned.

"Guess we should have seen that coming" Alistair quipped. In hindsight, it was unlikely these people would have returned to normal with clothes on.

"You... You did it!" The human form of Swiftrunner exclaimed with utter joy, "You actually did it! Oh thank you all so much!"

"We are glad we did the right thing" Marcus smiled at the man, "I'm sorry about the Lady though"

A flash of pain appeared in his eyes, "We will remember her, and all she did for us, always. But now, our bodies are free of the curse, our minds no longer plagued by the thought of hunting prey. We can finally return to our lives"

"You won't get far like that" Serana commented, "I'll go through our things and see if we have enough cloaks for you people"

"You'll need an escort to return to civilization, nearest human village should do" Sofie added before nudging at the large qunari at her side. "Sten and I can escort you"

The qunari didn't sound too please but did not argue, "If I must"

As they helped the now normal people prepare for a return to their proper lives, Theron hesitantly reached for Zathrian's staff, running a thumb over its surface in contemplation. All that pain he held inside, everything he did for the sake of his revenge, even at the cost of his clan's safety.

Theron couldn't say any of this had been worth it.

Miara stood at his side, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

The dalish slowly shook his head, "No, no I'm not" He sighed tiredly, "What am I even going to say to his clan? Should I tell them the truth about what he did? I-I just can't ruin their image of Zathrian, Miara. Despite what he did, he still meant a lot to so many people..."

Miara let out a soft breath, "I can't tell you what you should do, Theron. These are your people; you know what will be best for them"

The hunter looked at the staff once again, "I find myself doubting that at the moment"

"Regardless, remember that it was you who convinced Zathrian to put aside his hate and end the curse he started. We all heard what you said to him, Theron; you're wiser than you believe." She smiled at the young Warden, "I know you have made your people proud"

"...Thank you" He said in gratitude. "It's just... all this felt like a waste, like it shouldn't have happened in the first place"

"Such is life" Miara knelt down, gently pulling aside the remains of the Lady, and holding the glowing core of vines and roots that was her heart. "We have no answer to the things that happen, but we take solace in knowing that even from death, comes life"

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 _ **Hope you all enjoy that!**_


	16. The Calm

_**Disclaimer:**_ We do not own Dragon Age or Elder Scrolls series

 _ **Co-Author and Beta**_ : Etheral-23

 **The Calm**

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Birds sang a soft melody within the hidden grove while other forest life grazed about. Her foot steps were silent but Miara felt all eyes of the Spriggans upon her as said nature spirits soon appeared. The ancient matron once more rose from the lake water as she gazed down at the Dragonborn. She took note of the object held with reverence in the elf's hands.

No words were spoken but immense grief could be felt throughout the grove as Miara gave the lady's heart to the matron. The dunmer's ears perked at the sound of a mournful hymn soon filled the area as the other spriggans soon came to the matron.

The towering Spriggan gave a bowed head to the gray elf who did the same before she turned on her heels to leave. Outside the grove Serana waited with Neria.

"Now the forest can heal;" The Nordic vampire murmured with her lover soon coming to their side and begun to leave.

The young elven mage gazed back at the grove; "That hymn sounded so sad." And beautiful, but she felt it would be inappropriate to say.

"Even spirits can mourn," Miara addressed; "But let's return to the camp."

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* * *

Cries of tear-filled joy echoed throughout the Dalish camps as their elven kin who were turned had returned to them free from the curse. Thanks to the Wardens and their comrades. Sofie and Sten were ensuring Swiftrunner and the other humans were safely taken out of the forest.

But not all news was joyful as Theron came to Lanaya.

"So... that's it?"

"I'm sorry"

Lanaya, 'Keeper' Lanaya now, let out a wary sigh as she leaned back against the cold and hard bark of the tree. She blinked quickly a few times, most likely trying to hold back her tears. Theron had just finished recounting the tale of what went down in the ruins, with Witherfang and Zathrian.

At least, the version he decided to tell her.

He didn't have the heart to destroy her clan's image of the man, regardless of what happened. Dalish had so few heroes as it were...

"He gave everything to save us all" That much was true.

Lanaya remained silent for what felt like a long moment, but couldn't have been more than a few seconds. Finally her eyes snapped back to his, "Thank you for telling me this, Theron. Zathrian... he meant too much to his clan. I will tell the others. We'll need to prepare rites for him and..." She paused.

"Of course" Theron softly said, neither of them wanting to drag out the conversation.

With a small nod, she departed to hold council with her clan, stopping momentarily, her fists clenching and unclenching as she gave him a look over her shoulder. "Zathrian... did he say if he had any regrets?"

Theron considered his next words carefully, "I doubt anyone can live as long as he did and not have them"

"True enough" She conceded, "Maybe giving his life for the clan, he thought he was making amends for the mistakes he committed"

The hunter of the Sabrae clan felt the hairs on his neck stand on edge at the look she was giving him, the tone of her voice, implying she knew far more than she was letting on, her words carrying a hidden meaning that only he would understand.

The former First did not believe Zathrian had nothing to do with the curse, it did not necessarily mean he told her, but she knew him far too well to not piece things together. And the evident pain in her eyes told him she was hurting about knowing the truth far more than anyone else ever could.

"...He died for his clan" Theron finally said.

She no longer met his gaze, "Maybe that has to be enough" Without another word, she left at last.

Theron turned as his Keeper came to him with a grim and mournful gaze; "Falon'Din enasal enaste." She bowed her head as she spoke a small elven prayer. "We have lost one of our best." The Dalish warrior said nothing before Marethari peered out at the camp; "But many of our people were saved and brought home. For that we can be grateful."

"The Wardens were true to their word"

"Do not undersell your role in all this, Theron" She replied, "You are a Warden, you are called to a higher purpose to stop the Blight"

"It's not what I wanted" He admitted, "But their... our cause is just"

"You are a very welcomed addition to our ranks" The jovial voice of Alistair spoke as he and Marcus approached the elves, "Wish we could have given you more of a choice, but our circumstances are rather dire at the moment"

"And I was dying" The hunter replied.

"Well that was implied" Alistair smirked in that fashion the elf was beginning to think was usual for him.

"Can the elves spare warriors to fight the Blight?" Marcus asked, shifting the conversation. "I mean no offense, but your numbers are not very promising, and I've seen the horde at Ostagar..."

Marethari actually smiled coyly, "The are many other clans in Ferelden, we won't match the size of a large army, but you'll many experienced and talented elven bows at your service"

A grateful bow came to Alistair; "Thank you keeper." The former Templar sighed scratching the back of his head; "Well this has been a long day."

"I suggest a day's rest for all of you." Marethari remarked back; "You're more than welcomed to stay with us given all you've done."

"We gladly accept serjo." Eyes turned to see Miara having had entered the camp with Serana and Neria. "I'm not leaving until Sarya wakes up anyway."

Marethari cocked her head inquisitively; "And where were you three off at?"

"Wanted to retrieve these. Just took time to roam back around the ruins." The group having decided to keep the grove and Spriggans a secret. The gray elf held up the armor and weapon of the ancient arcane warrior.

They had also run into that crazy hermit mage they were warned about, and the man was utterly and absolutely out of his mind. And after implying he had killed dalish who had wandered in too closely to his territory, Miara was swift to kill him. Ugh, she was just sure Sheo would pick him up along the way to the Isles, her mentor always kept an eye to any crazies she met.

If the Keeper's eyes grew any wider Serana wondered if they would have fallen out. The elderly woman came close as her hand traced over the chest plate; "Sulahn'nehn. Ilen and Varathorn will be most grateful. This armor and weapon were mentioned in many of the lost books and scrolls our clans have found. But never in my life did I think to see the Dirth'ena Enasalin's armor."

"We could have had the power of the Arcane Warrior if not her shortsightedness." Theron quipped curtly making Neria wince under his glare.

"Telanadas." The keeper reproached making the young warrior bow his head. Her gaze turned to Neria who shifted nervously; "While reckless in your actions, I am grateful an Elvhen claimed the power. But be mindful from now on Da'len." Marethari spoke in a stern but maternal manner.

"Yes Keeper." The young elven mage bowed.

"Now that you have the skills of the Arcane Warrior, Dirthara. That is my wisdom to you."

"I honestly had no intention to use this power" Neria confessed, "I just wanted to return it to the dalish... but now I realized I have no way of doing so" The meekly admitted, "Should I... write it down for you or-?"

"Oh that won't do at all!" A very peppy voice called out, making Theron let out a sound of exasperation. Looking like she just woke up, which was a given by the state of her hair and her hastily thrown over new set of clothes that was most likely the case, a young elven woman with familiar gray skin like her fellow gray skinned mother. "Taking stuff that doesn't belong to you? Well one thing is to plunder ruins, I mean mom does it all the time, but knowledge with no way pass it down?" She clicked her tongue a few times. "Now that won't do at all"

Upon giving the elf a closer look, having lacked the chance to see Miara and Serana's younger daughter before, Neria paled considerable. "Oh Maker she's real..." The Circle mage muttered in disbelief.

"How can you be this energetic?" Miara questioned with a drawl to her words, "I can't get up from bed without jolting myself with lightning"

"Sleeping is a waste of time; you could be using the rest of the day more productively!" Sarya rapidly spoke before waving the still stunned dark tanned elf, "Hi Neria!"

She wasn't a spirit or demon... By Andraste that creature was actually real.

"Well, I suppose I can train Neria in combat." Mused Miara crossing her arms. That garnered a squawk from the circle mage; "Would be a waste not using something as unique." She held the sword hilt once more as a silver blade of magical energy rose once more. "And you can use this! This is badass!"

"Oh that is pretty!" Sarya went beside her elven mother staring at the blade; "I want to know how this works! Now I got to know more about this Dirth'ena Enasalin. Let me see that please!" The magical blade faded as Miara handed it to her daughter and gave a small explanation of how to make a blade; "OH let's see!" Channeling her arcane energies soon a 'purple' blade rose up. "Now that is brilliant! We are learning everything about this!"

Miara nodded; "Yes we are." Both dunmeri women giggled like children.

A low groan came from Serana; "Oh now both are enthusiastic about it." She patted the young elf's shoulder; "You no longer have a say in this." A long whimpered moan came from the elven girl.

"Well," Alistair shrugged; "It will keep you busy on the road."

"Oh but first we have to share the knowledge you learn, no biggie I'll just delve into your mind so you can share it with the mages here!"

"Eeep" Neria let out a sad frightened little noise.

"It'll be just like when I taught you Aedric Spear!"

Miara and Serana deadpanned, "Of course it was you"

"Oh I just realized!" Sarya was pretty much hopping from one foot to the other, "Theron, we'll be traveling buddies!" The dalish warrior suddenly looked several shades paler, his eyes going wide, looking very reminiscent of aged soldiers who had been left scarred by the atrocities they had witnessed in war. "We'll get to know each other better now! Ohhhh we're going to be the best team ever! Don't worry I'll be correcting you on every single thing you do wrong so you can keep up with me"

"...I hate you, I hate you so much" Theron pointedly said. To Alistair.

"What did I do?"

"You let me live!"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

The arrow found its way to the middle of the bullseye in the tree, inspiring a round of awed sounds from the group of children surrounding the bard. Leliana smiled amusedly as they all proceeded to gush about it in true child fashion.

"Where you learn to shoot?!"

"Didn't know Shems could use a bow like that"

"How come your hair's so red?"

It had been less than an hour since Sofie and Sten had returned after escorting Swiftrunner and the rest of the human out. After being told they be staying till tomorrow they all took time to find something to keep busy.

The former Bard decided on working on her archery to make certain she wasn't too out of practice. Her talent at the bow drew quite a few Dalish to observe. "I learnt how to use a bow when I was a girl. It took a lot of practice."

"You use a bow almost as good as an elf."

Leli smiled at the compliment; "Thank you." She took note of a few older children were blushing at her, heh, she still got it.

"Are we having fun?" Heads turned to Sofie who grinned; "Leli showing off?"

A cute pout came from the redhead; "I'm not showing off, I'm practicing."

"With a small crowd of easily impressed children" Said children in question proceeded to surrounded Sofie, clinging to her, asking a hundred questions a minute, and overall being very excitable and curious. Much more so to the people who had saved their clans. Sofie laughed as she lifted her arms, two children laughing merrily as they hanged from her limbs, causing Leliana to smile warmly at how good the nord was with them.

Still, she was a bard, she couldn't let Sofie have the last word. "'Easily impressed'? I hope you're not implying my marksmanship skills are subpar"

"Don't get me wrong, you're good" To make the children give them some privacy, Sofie pulled out a trick that never failed. She whistled sharply and sounds of paws against the ground were soon upon them. Loke and Bran barked happily, causing the children to immediately forget them and ran off to play with the mabari. Sofie smiled softly at them before approaching Leliana, her gesture turning coy. "But I've seen better, my mom Miara can shoot the SUN and unleash its fury"

Leliana rolled her eyes, "And here I thought waxing poetic was my thing"

"It's cute you think I'm being rhetoric" Before the redhead could ask her what she meant by that, the nord quickly changed the subject. "So uh listen. On the way back I found this and, well, thought of you" She awkwardly said as she reached into her satchel and pulled out a flower. A very recognizable flower.

Leliana's pink lips parted slightly, "That's..."

"An Andraste's Grace right? Checked a botany book twice to see if I got the right one" Sofie admitted with that endearing smile of hers.

Ever so gently did the former bard take the flower into her hands. Her gaze took in every detail as memories flooded her mind. Her mother's smile as she sat on terrace of Lady Cecilie's while watching her as a child trying to sing as she played. Sofie wasn't really sure if she was blushing or not at the sight of the redhead giving the most beautiful smile she had ever seen.

"I can't recall when I've last seen one of these." Leliana muttered as she drew the flower close and smelled its scent. "Mother always had these in her room, so much so all her clothes smelled like them. You remembered... thank you"

"Of course I did" The nord smiled gently. "It was important to you"

Leliana held the flower close to her face, almost touching her lips and slightly tickling her nose, in a futile attempt to hide the overjoyed smile. Her cheeks blushed with such a gentle color that it was hard for Sofie to not just sweep her off her feet and give the strongest hug she could.

The bard fidgeted slightly, as if unsure of what to do, before standing on the tips of her toes, reaching close to Sofie's face and planting a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Thank you..." Leliana once more said in gratitude, feeling like a complete fool acting like an inexperienced maiden. But Sofie always did get that reaction out of her.

The warrior remained so still she might as well be a statue, her face slowly morphing through a multitude of emotions, mostly happiness and embarrassment, her lips struggling to let out even the simplest of words, "You're welcome" She just wished she didn't sound so husky while doing so.

"Sofie" Her vampire mother called out to her, carrying a box of ores easily under her arm with her supernatural strength.

The nord looked confused; "Who? ...I mean, yes! Me, that's... that's me right?"

Ugh, where was a hole in the ground when you needed one?

Serana gave her a strange look, "Um, your mom is making a schematic out of that armor we found, and you know how she gets. She's gonna need these metal to test the right materials for it"

"Right! Uh, coming!" The vampire rolled her eyes and walked off to where her lover was working. "So uh, gotta, help my mom with... stuff" The nord awkwardly said, rubbing her neck as walked away, in the complete opposite direction where Serana had gone to. Leliana just smiled gently and a bit humored as Sofie soon walked back in front of her. "That way" Sofie mumbled out.

Leliana's blue eyes only observed the Nordic woman walk away with her vampiric mother. "Si doux(So sweet)," she muttered dreamily in Orlesian.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Varathorn and Ilen gazed at the ancient Elvhen armor in awe. Both having only seen another like it from Clan Lavellan during one of the gatherings. Sentinel armor being its proper name Ilen informed Miara who was busy sketching down every detail down on parchment. "To think, old friend, we gaze at another such remarkable armor of our people." Varathorn murmured breathlessly.

"Indeed..." Ilen held up the sword hilt. He soon took note of Serana and Sofie bringing raw veridium ore; Miara had explained she found while in the forest along with more Ironbark; "Ma serannas, now we can make proper gear for everyone."

Serana put down the crates of ore with Sofie; "And Miara will make least three copies of those schematics. That way the rest of the Dalish can make their own while she has one."

In that Theron, who stood close was beyond grateful to hear. But one detail did bother him; "Are you sure letting her take the sword hilt is wise?" He asked in a hushed tone to Ilen and Varathorn.

"We do not part with such a relic lightly, Theron" Master Ilen evenly replied, "But sadly, we lack the sufficient knowledge to replicate such blades. If we want to recover the ways of the Dirth'ena Enasalin we must ensure that all of its aspects are whole, including that of the weaponry"

"Armor, we can replicate" Varathorn added, "But how to make a blade of pure arcane energy? That is beyond our grasp. So, after consulting with the Keeper Marethari and Lana- Keeper Lanaya" He corrected himself at the last moment, a passing look of sadness in his eye evident as he clearly had thought of Zathrian. And just as fast as it appeared, it was gone "We felt it was better to lend it to someone who can uncover its secrets, someone whose knowledge integrates both smithing and magic"

"You've fought alongside her Theron, to save our clans" The Sabrae Keeper said, "You know we can trust her"

"I know it's just" He sighed, "It is not easy, giving pieces of our past to outsiders"

"We understand" The smith replied with sympathy, patting his shoulder, "Believe me, it's a wound to our pride as the clans' craftsmen that we can't actually do anything regarding that blade"

Miara paused from her work to peer over to the young Dalish warrior; "I'll bring the hilt back and in one piece after I figure it out. A weapon like this is a once in a lifetime find. I'm proud the Mer of these lands had advanced so much." She winced realizing what she had said before thinking; "Sorry."

"It is fine," Ilen grinned; "These small discoveries can help in the long run for all Elvhen of Thedas. And thanks to Sarya the arts of the Arcane Warrior are being passed to us."

Theron had to hold the bile in his throat. As much as he despised Sarya, she was doing a great boon for them. Transferring knowledge of the Dirth'ena Enasalin skills to their mages. His eyes went over said Telvanni mage in question. In front of her were Aneirin and Neria, her hands on their foreheads. His eye cocked seeing Mithra by the Dunmer's side casually speaking.

When did they get this friendly?

It almost looked like it caused little strain to the dunmer, or that she required next to no concentration, to transfer knowledge from one mind to another. Theron was no mage, but this seemed like the sort of thing that shouldn't easy to do.

She let go of their foreheads, both backing away with wobbly steps.

"Did it work?" Neria asked, gaze unfocused as she rubbed her temples.

Aneirin groaned, running a hand over his head. "I... I know it" He muttered, eyes growing is disbelief. "Barriers designed for close quarter combat. Offensive spells. Spells to enhance the body's physical prowess. Sword techniques!" He laughed out loud in joy. "I know the craft!"

"Wonderful!" The young dunmer mage clapped her hands repeatedly. "Do you think you'll be able to teach others?"

"I think I'll first need to practice myself" The dalish mage smiled, "I never thought about wielding a sword before but now... now the thought is too tempting"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Stars glimmered in the heavens above with brilliant moonlight shining over a large lake near the Dalish camps. The illumination made it easy for a now at least partially rested Merrill to venture there. She smiled as she saw the reason she came here; "Theron."

"Merrill;" Though he returned her smile, his heart thundered within his chest. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better after some rest." She hurried over engulfing him in a hug; "I'm so glad you're alright." She mumbled meekly as the warrior wrapped his arms around her in return.

Theron didn't want to do this, but this was a conversation they needed to have. "You know I have to leave the clan" he felt her stiffen in his arms, "I am to fight against the Blight, so... I case I-"

"You'll come back" She said defiantly and without hesitation, like it was a certainty.

The hunter sighed softly, "Merrill, even if we win you know the duty of the Wardens requires me to-"

"You'll come back" Merrill repeated, pulling away from him a bit, her arms still wrapped around him. Her wide green eyes looking at with immeasurable love and adoration. "I know it, because whenever I need you, you're always there" One hand slowly went up to cup his face, he leaned forward into her palm, enjoying the tender warm that came from it. "Whenever I scrapped my knees or messed things up, or when I needed someone to talk to someone, you were always there"

Theron's lips parted softly but no words came out, unsure on how to respond.

"And now, you're part of my heart" The hand went to her own chest, right above the organ in question. "So I know you'll come back because my heart will always need its missing piece"

This amazing creature in front of him never failed to bring joy even to his darkest days, just knowing Merrill cared for him so much was enough for him to endure whatever hardship, whatever challenge or tragedy, the world threw at him. He would fight the Blight, for his people, for Merrill. Though his hands could never reach the stars and plug them from the sky to give them to Merrill as she rightfully deserved, he could settle for making sure this world was save for her.

Theron did not hesitate to pull out his necklace of many carved animal figures and place it on her hand, much to her growing surprise.

"Oh Theron, oh no, no" She softly replied, "I can't, this was your-"

"It's yours now" The hunter smiled, "So you I can always with you"

Merrill relented, slowly opening her palm and letting him place his beloved necklace on it, promising to never let it go.

"You already are" The dainty mage whispered, "Ma vhenan"

They kissed, desperately, fearing it might be the last time they would ever taste each other's lips. But beyond that fear was joy, passion, sincere love between the two. The sincere promise that they would always be together no matter how much distance was between them. And so as their bodies settled on the ground, underneath a tree and before the waves of the lake, their clothing soon to be discarded, their bodies intertwined in the lustful dance of their love making. Holding unto his strong back, Merrill moaned out in ecstasy as his hips met hers in a rhythmic thrust. The sweet nothings they whispered into each other's ears and their oaths of love were like prayers to be heard by the fates and the stars.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Before dawn's light the Dalish hunters were awake and traversing the forest for game. They were joined by Sofie and Miara as they took down several decent sized rams which could be used for all kinds of benefits for the clans. Returning home with their catch the sun had finally begun to rise with everyone waking for the day.

"Would have been nice to brought home a nice big boar or bear," The Nordic woman who carried most of the morning hunt received odd looks from the Dalish hunters. "You get a good fight and good meat, fur, and leather."

Pol did not share her enthusiasm; "I'd rather not fight a bear thank you." A few of the other hunters shared his sentiment with nods.

"Fought a large pack of wolves with Theron once," Fenarel grunted as he carried a ram; "Rather not press my luck."

"Ah you lot would get a good exercise from it!"

Her elven mother rolled her eyes; "This is what I get for having Aela take you out on her monthly hunts when you were younger."

"Lucia, Ylva, and I turned out alright from her training. Least we're not as crazy as Sarya."

Thank all the gods for small miracles...

Over at Varathorn's and Ilen's area, Gin observed the Sabrea's clan smith fine tuning his crossbow. "Sorry for hassle."

"It's no trouble lad, you all stopped the werewolves. It's the least I can do." Ilen quipped as he removed worn parts and replaced with Ironbark; "I'll make sure the sights are set properly before you leave."

"Appreciated." Gin glanced over at the sight of the Dalish hunters coming back with fresh game; "Glad Pol is doing good here."

"He is becoming a fine hunter." Ilen grinned as he worked.

* * *

 **XxX ~ an hour later ~ XxX**

* * *

"Are we ready to leave?" Marcus asked the group as he surveyed the last of their preparations.

Serana turned a side glace at the figures of Theron and Merrill, who were both saying goodbyes to each other without actually saying anything, merely gently resting their foreheads against each other. Very reluctantly they both let go.

"I think we are now" The vampire commented.

"We cannot thank you enough, Wardens" Keeper Marethari said with immense gratitude as she and Lanaya walked up to them. "Know that you will always be friends to the clan" She gave curt bow to Miara's youngest, "And thank you Sarya, for sharing with us knowledge of our kin across the sea."

"It was my pleasure" The Telvanni mage replied graciously with a wide smile.

Alistair looked at Theron as he joined them, his weaponry on his person with the rest of his items stored in a leather sack over his shoulder, "Ready?"

The dalish casted one last look at his Clan, Keeper Marethari, his beloved, all watching him with pride and sadness. His guardian walked up to him, the woman who had helped in raising him, it was clear this pained her as much as it did any of them.

"You will always be with us" Ashalle spoke in a soft motherly tone, "The spirit of the dalish go with you, no matter where your path leads you"

Theron accepted her words into her head, before giving one last longing glance at Merrill, everything that needed to be said between them was spoken that beautiful night. There were no words left to say.

And so the Wardens and their allies marched off, their spirits high knowing they had not only save those clans, but gained a valuable ally in their fight against the Blight. Though not everyone was happy, even in victory.

"Cheer up Theron" Sarya said brightly, "You're gonna have tons of adventures with us!"

The dalish grunted.

"Think of it as a learning experience." Miara remarked beside Serana and Sarya; "It's becoming that way for these three." She pointed over to Gin, Neria, and Brianna.

This was true considering all the Tabris had known was Denerim and their mages the Circle. It was a lot for them to take in now roaming Ferelden. But another matter was more pressing for the Dalish warrior.

"Odahviing." Theron spoke, bringing up the ruby dragon as they cleared the camp.

At that Serana grunted; "Oh this will be a fun few days to Ferelden's capitol."

* * *

 **XxX ~ Denerim ~ XxX**

* * *

"As queen I believe it is my duty to lead the Landsmeet in times like these" Anora dressed in her usual garments walked beside her father who was still in his armor.

"None of the training you had could have prepared you for something like this. I am just doing my duty to the nation"

Anora took a few steps faster, stepping right before her father with an outraged look in her eyes. "By declaring yourself Regent?!"

Loghain stopped, the hall they had been walking through to get to the Landsmeet had become deathly quiet, so much one could hear a pin falling to the floor. The general sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his gauntleted hand.

"Anora, we talked about this. Orlais is clearly preparing to act against us as while we are dealing with the Darkspawn. It's already suspicious enough that the aid they promised Cailan never arrived, and now the evidence given to me by Howe-"

"Is weak at best and ludicrous at worst!" The queen snapped. Howe had been spreading such outlandish tale about the Cousland's supposed betrayal, how they were making preparations to help Orlais land in troops near Highever's coast, securing advanced posts and other strategically viable areas around Highever to create an optimal staging area from which to begin an invasion. "The Couslands have always been devoted to the crown and kingdom; you can't honestly believe what he's telling you"

"What I can't do is deny the facts while they're right before me" Loghain staunchly replied. "My dear, the Couslands have always pushed for more 'diplomatic' actions whenever issues with Orlais arise, they've been too apologetic to their actions against Ferelden. Orlais' lack of support and now this is too convenient to ignore"

Anora wanted to point out that the Couslands have also fought AGAINST Orlais to reclaim their nation's independence, but now her father seemed to refuse listening to logic, it was always like that whenever Orlais was involved...

"And what of Ostagar?" She muttered with a pleading look in her eyes, "Do you really believe you were justified, doing what you did?"

Loghain gave her a pained and apologetic look, "You weren't there, my dear. I just..." He sighed, "Look, I'll address this concerns to the Landsmeet. Come"

The Ferelden throne room, an enormous stone and wooden hall with balconies on either side. Heraldry and drapes of fine but modest design that held Ferelden sigils hung proudly on the walls. Large wooden carved hounds were placed all around the room with seats, benches, and tables.

At one end were large wooden doors with two guards at either side. At the other end sat the two thrones of the Ferelden king and queen near a massive fireplace. Both finely cut from the best wood of the nation with canine engravings. Close by the said thrones Ser Cauthrien took in all the nobility gathered by the emergency landsmeet.

Majority being present were the Bannorn and at least several Arls. Currently two were yelling at one another with fiery intensity. "You, the man who has been friends with Bryce for over thirty years, dare call him a traitor to Ferelden!?" A man closing his winter years bellowed as he glared at the Arl of Amaranthine who wore finely regal garbs.

"Must I spell it out to you Eamon or has your age finally caught up with you?!" Rendon fired back with equal anger.

The arl of Redcliffe, Eamon Guerrin, veteran of the war against Orlais war stood a foot taller than Arl Howe with a full grey beard and hair, dressed in simple but regal clothes "I think you decided to finally show the real person you have always been."

"Do I hear an accusation in your tone? Why don't you speak plainly, subtlety was never your strength!"

Close by, Bann Alfstanna Eremon observed along with the other nobles the shouting match between the two Arls. She was in her mid-thirties with fair skin and shirt brunette hair with some braiding. Unlike her many of her peers she wore hard leathers, with her hold being a harbor, she and her people were not ones for refinement.

"Look at him, claiming to innocence when the truth is obvious" The person at her side spoke with spite in his voice. A man closing his fifties, long braided brunette, thick eyebrows and a stubble jawline, wearing plated armor of dark coloration, Arl Leonas Brynland could only look upon Howe with disdain. "Waving webs of lies like the spider he is"

"Hard words for a family member, Arl Brynland" The bann of the Waking Sea muttered as she watched the debacle go on.

He made a sound of disgust, "As far as I'm concerned, Howe's only relation to me is that he is the father of my niece and nephews"

To say the history between Howe and Brynland was complicated was an understatement. Once upon a time they shared a strong friendship, having battled together against Orlais. But somewhere along the time when Rendon had married Leonas' sister Eliane their relationship had deteriorated to the point neither man could stand the sight of the other.

And given what Howe had done that eventful night at Highever, the atrocities his men had committed, the pain and hate in Eleanor's face, did the bann truly discover what kind of man he was. Alfstanna did not doubt that whatever happened between Howe and Leonas was entirely the former's fault.

"Where is this 'proof' you found about the Cousland's betrayal?" Demanded another of the nobility, a woman who did not really represent the modern image of a court lady. Tall, imposing, the seams of her dress straining against her muscular body. Bann Lanya's squarish and scarred face was locked in her usual frown, glaring at the Arl of Amaranthine. "The fact that you've shared this with no one is very suspicious"

Eamon gave her a grateful nod for her support. It eased his fears that despite the woman's known hatred for Orlais, not all of the Orlais-scorning nobility were quick to believe Howe's words.

"The evidence he has shared" A new, commanding voice, entered the throne room, one many were very much familiar with. "Is safe with me"

Loghain entered the court; standing on the right balcony, next to him was his daughter the queen.

All the nobles grew silent as the hero of River Dane continued; "The death of his majesty at Ostagar has left our nation weak both within and without. Something Orlais will no doubt see as an opportunity since they were able to bribe the traitor Bryce Cousland, who gave strategic information for Empress Celine and her forces to invade in key points of Ferelden."

Several roars of outrage ensued from some nobles while the new Regent continued; "Thanks to Rendon Howe's efforts and the evidence shown to me. As regent I stripped the Couslands of their holdings and titles which shall be given to Teyrn Rendon Howe as reward for his service to Ferelden."

Not even Anora could hide her shock at the words her father just spoke. Emotions shared by half of the nobility as anger rose once more into shouting. The Arl of Redcliffe's being the loudest; "The Cousland family has been loyal to Ferelden since their uplifting to nobility! Both Bryce and Eleanor fought the Orlesians thirty years ago beside Arl Leonas Bryland and yourself Howe!"

"Enough coin and political influences can sway any man Arl Eamon," Rendon rebuked sharply.

"Not Bryce Cousland!" Arl Bryland having heard enough addressed in anger.

"What about the Darkspawn horde?" Arl Wulff brought up the other subject of greater importance. "Now that the army has broken they are marching unopposed. West Hills is next on their path. How am I supposed to protect my lands?!"

"We heard from soldiers about the signal being lit too late" Eamon spoke, barely containing the anger in him, the knowledge that his nephew had fallen in battle. That Loghain had just abandoned him. "But you did nothing to get the king of out the battle once this one proved lost!"

Loghain rested his armored hands upon the wooden railing. "The darkspawn had completely overwhelmed our ranks, mounting a rescue would have been impossible!"

More shouts and exclamations of outrage, too much chaos for Anora to properly hear what everyone was saying. But from the confrontational looks of the nobles, it was clear that half the court believed Loghain's claims, while others did not put any faith in his words.

"Survivors report the battlefield was a massacre!" Bann Parth managed to shout over the chaos, bringing a momentary silence so his voice could be heard. "The Wardens failed to light the signal in time!"

"Ahhh yes, the Grey Wardens" Loghain spat in disdain. "Am I only one who finds it convenient that the Wardens, in charge of calling for reinforcements, failed to do their only crucial task assigned to them?"

Confused whispers took root.

"What are you claiming, Loghain?" One of the banns demanded.

"Orlais did not send the promised reinforcements. The Couslands conspired with them to harm our nation as we are dealing with the Darkspawn. And now the Grey Wardens, who lest we forgot once tried to usurp the Ferelden Crown, failed their assigned task!" The teyrn paced as his voice resonated through the court. "And it is no secret the Orlesian Wardens hold close ties to the Orlesian Empire. To me it is clear what happened" The general paused, "The Wardens conspired with Orlais to let our king die"

More shouts, more outrage. Half of the nobility, who still held to their old hatred for Orlais, sided with her father. The other half opposed him all the way.

Anora could only stare dumbfounded at her father for coming up with that ridiculous conclusion. She realized he didn't have to believe his own words; he only needed the nobility fragmented for his own position to be secure.

And all the while she had remained quiet. Her famed decisive demeanor forgotten in the wake of grief she felt for Cailan's death, she couldn't muster the strength to go against the words of her own father, the man who had sacrificed so much for their nation, who had lost so much and only wanted to do right by their kingdom. So quiet she remained, for she did not know what course of action was best for her people, she had never faced something like this before, not like her father.

Her silence did not go unnoticed, as Eamon called out to her. "Your majesty, please!" He begged of her, "You cannot believe what your father is saying!"

His words were met with a gaze not from a strong hearted Queen. But a visibly shook young woman who did not know what to do in a situation like this. For a moment his stern eyes softened before returning with fervor at her father; "This hypocrisy will not stand Loghain! Your paranoia and hate for Orlais will bring Ferelden to ruin when the darkspawn rip it apart!" With that he sharply turned to leave; "The truth will be revealed, and this madness will be shown for the farce that it is!"

With those final words the Arl of Redcliffe left the hall. He was joined by other nobles who shared his sentiment while the remaining highborn was still arguing. Disbelief shone in the eyes of Arl Brynland who soon shook his head in utter disgust as he soon followed Eamon; "Madness..." He muttered.

Throughout the entire landsmeet, only Bann Alfstanna remained silent as she simply watched on with pure anger and befuddlement. Her gaze never left Howe as she observed the man leave the hall into the palace. Likely following Loghain who left moments after Eamon's last words.

Bryce and Eleanor traitors?! If she did not have the restraint Alfstanna would have beaten Rendon to death. But that would not help her friends...

She needed to speak with Mother Mallol.

* * *

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* * *

Loghain was silent as he paced down the hall with Ser Cauthrien at his shoulder. "They looked ready to kill each other in there." The female knight murmured quietly.

"The truth is hardest to accept at times." The new regent remarked in a stony tone.

A sharp gaze came from the woman; "But the Couslands?!"

"I'm just as shocked as you are with their betrayal."

"Oh we all are my liege" Cauthrien suppressed her disgust as Howe's fake regret and melancholy reached her ears. The now proclaimed teyrn approached the regent, no doubt to further lick his boots and further his own agenda. "I took no pleasure in what I did; Bryce had been my friend... It shook me to my core he would sell out his country like that"

The knight refused to believe Loghain would actually buy that man's words... and yet, he had given the Cousland's holdings to him. Howe had the general's ear. Even if she found herself doubting her mentor's choices, she knew he only had Ferelden's best interests in mind, for that, she would continue to faithfully serve him in these trying times.

"Half the nobility sides against me" Loghain grunted in frustration, "They will challenge my authority every step of the way"

"Eamon has the ears of many banns and arls" Howe pointed out, "His influence is the greatest threat to you right now, sire"

"Yes..." The general acknowledged. "We must deal with him"

"As it so happens, my liege" Howe smiled, far too cheerfully for Cauthrien's liking. "My agents have found certain information we can use against him"

Loghain raised a brow, "And that is?"

The arl of Amaranthine gave Cauthrien a side glance, "Something best disclosed to your ears only"

Cauthrien's eyes widened, looking at liege as he actually seemed to consider his words. That was nonsense; she had always been a peerless confidant regarding state secrets. If there was something Loghain needed to know then was more than capable of-

"Why don't you go oversee the soldier's training, Cauthrien" The teyrn softly spoke. "Make sure they're not getting rusty"

His aide gave him a somewhat pained look, but obeyed all the same. "As you command" She left without another word.

He sighed, shaking his head; he wanted to trust her with this. But right now he was in a position where he couldn't afford sharing secrets, not even with his most trusted soldiers.

"What have you learned Rendon," Loghain repressed a small growl.

A smile graced the new Teyrn's lips; "Do you recall Eamon's son?" Howe making a gesture to the Teyrn to follow him.

"Connor?" The general recalled the young lad during his trips to Redcliffe. "What of him?"

As they passed a corner nearing the prison, two of Howe's men stood at the door; "Turns out the boy is a mage."

"What?!" A shocked hiss came from the general.

"I was the same my lord, as it turns out both Eamon and Isolde have been keeping the boy's talents hidden." He remarked as his men opened the door. Both descended downwards. "As you know mages have neither official rights nor claim to nobility."

"Which would leave him without an heir" Loghain remarked, seeing what the newly appointed teyrn was getting at. "That information could be useful to blackmail him" He briefly wondered why they were going to the dungeons.

"I was actually thinking of using another approach with that knowledge" Howe said ominously. "Isolde has been trying to keep it quiet, but I know for a fact she's been looking for someone to tutor the boy as to avoid sending him to the Circle"

"She would need to hire an apostate" The regent pointed out. Hedge mages or runaway Circle mages were the only choice for human mages to learn how to control their magic outside the Circle.

"Indeed" Howe smiled, "What if we send one her way, one that would answer directly to us and follow our commands?"

Loghain stopped walking, "You have one under your employ?"

"Ah, not exactly, not yet at least" Rendon stopped before one of the cells, crossing his arms behind his back as he thrust his chin towards the cell's occupant.

The regent approached, and saw behind the bars a disheveled young man with long dark hair and torn robes. He looked like he hadn't bathed in days. His eyes frantically shifted between the two men before him. Maker, he couldn't be older than twenty winters. This... boy was supposed to be their agent?

It's not what he would have preferred, but Eamon was forcing his hand, in the future he'd have to take many drastic measures.

"Hmph" Loghain's brow furrowed, examining the scared apostate from head to toe. "I've worked with less, he will have to do"

"Young man" Rendon smiled, his voice sweet like honey. "How would you like to serve your nation?"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Alfstanna was grateful there were several wooden benches around the chantry. By the time she had informed Mallol of what transpired in the landsmeet the poor woman had to sit down. Utter consternation glowed in the priestess's normally calm and wise eyes. The Cousland family traitors... Bought by Orlesian coin and status from Empress Celine?!

Outrageous!

Never in all of her years has the Chantry mother felt such rage and fury burn so brightly within her heart. Rendon Howe truly was a monster. Petty, power hungry, vindictive... All those decades of friendship meant completely nothing to the man as he spat on Bryce's good name!

The Bann of the Waking Sea let the older woman calm herself before finally speaking once more; "Unless we retrieve these documents of 'supposed' tracery our hands are tied." She ran her hand through her hair; "Eleanor will be beyond livid." If Howe wanted to reawaken the 'Sea wolf' he will succeed. However another thought quelled her own rage as her gaze became sullen; "Marcus and Fergus..."

"Are alive." The Chantry mother addressed with certainty.

Alfstanna quietly hissed "Mallol, Ostagar was a massacre. Only a miracle could have saved them."

"Then have faith in the Maker, Bann Alfstanna, those boys are far too stubborn and resourceful to die by Darkspawn."

The two ladies stared at another before the noble huffed with her hands on her hips; "It's all we can do. I'll return home and tell Eleanor. Maker that will be an ordeal..."

"If Lady Eleanor needs to send me information for Marcus or Fergus, tell her to send any letter discreetly through the Chantry." Mallol rose from the bench adjusting her robes.

Alfstanna nodded but did not voice her low hopes on either lad being alive. If they were, Andraste herself was protecting them.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

The children whispered and pointed, marveled at the great stone creature before them. Tall and bulky with crystals adorning its frame, it remained perfectly still like a statue, staring into the air. Just standing there in front of the general store. It had suddenly appeared one day, accompanying a knight and two dwarves, causing no end of gossip from the adults. And it was hard for them not to be drawn to it, how often did one get to see a real life golem?

"Come on Jeanne, touch it!" One of the boys edged a girl to do it.

"You touch it!" The girl hissed in reply.

"If you don't you'll be a chicken" The boy grinned, a tooth missing in his row of teeth. "Buck, buck, buck!" He cackled, imitating the animal to annoy the girl.

It had the desired effect, "Cut it out!"

Unfortunately for them, it also caught the great stone being's attention. Its head snapping to their direction, glowing eyes furrowed in a glare. "I hear birds in need of squishing"

The kids cried out and ran away terrified.

Faren chuckled to himself, and peaked his head from Shale's other side as he stared at the little runts run for their dear lives. "Heh, this bunch got closer than the last"

They heard the door to the store open, "Oh for- What did you do to those poor kids?" Sereda demanded as she and Oryrn walked out, holding bags of supplies.

"Oh nothing our dear lady Sereda." Faren smiled not so innocently; "Simply enjoying the gloriously beautiful day!" He patted Shale's side; "Haven't we Shale?"

"I have not killed any avian yet today."

Oryrn deadpanned along with Sereda; "Just please don't smash the people's livestock. Again..." The Dunmer implored. Having spoken to Ser Perth for a seventh time already about a golem crushing the farmer's chickens was bad enough as it is. Multiple times he had to compensate the families' with his coin.

The last few weeks had been an interesting one for the four. There had been quite a few stirs of about a tall elf in black armor alongside two strange dwarfs and a golem helping out the Redcliffe guards with bandits, wild beasts, and bounties.

The four even brought down a group of Qunari Tal-Vashoth raiders in the Hinterlands. That had earned them the friendship of the people and soldiers after the fierce battle was won.

These people needed any good news they could receive, even more so any help he could provide. Redcliffe had been shaken by the news of Ostagar's fall, the army decimated and their king slain. There was a terrible air of dread hanging over the villages under the arl's territory, especially here in Redcliffe, a place that had seen many battles on the past and would not doubt see more.

But Arl Eamon had managed to ease their fears if only temporarily. Oryrn had only seen the man from a distance, but could tell he was an experienced orator from the way he addressed his people. Now the villagers went about their business after he had departed for Denerim to take part of the landsmeet, leaving his younger brother Bann Teagan in charge.

He had not directly met the bann, but it seemed the nobleman was aware of the elf and company at least. Having messengers or soldiers hand over bounty contracts or quests to him. The bann wouldn't say no to an efficient mercenary like him, especially after he already done many jobs for Redcliffe already.

Sereda placed her supplies bag on the ground next to him outside the store. "What's next on the agenda?"

"Go to the tavern and flirt with that cute human waitress?" Faren received a dry glare from the Tamriel Templar and fellow dwarf; "What? She is beautiful, and she has been flirting with me and our 'Black knight'."

A low groan came from the dunmer, he wasn't sure who gave him that title but it stuck with him after the first few days here. Honestly it didn't bother him, he had several back home. But Black Knight didn't really fit someone who fought with holy magic.

"Likely do what we have been doing since coming here," Sereda quipped as they sorted out their supplies. "Check the chantry board and the guards at Fort Connor for any trouble going around and get some coin."

"My excitement is bursting," Shale remarked with dry snarky monotone. Something its three companions had become accustom to. Quicker for Oryrn given his Nordic mother's usual wit being the same.

"Lady Sereda!" A young voice called out garnering their attention. Running up to the four was a young dwarven child in simple clothes with red hair and bright green eyes; she held a bow fit for her size. "You going to teach more?!" The young lass jumped on the balls of her feet with a smile.

Faren chuckled; "Ah, our future hero of Thedas in training has returned! How goes practice little Lace?" The roguish laughed once more being cutely glared at by the girl.

"It's Harding!"

"Because that is SO much better" The dwarven rogue replied sarcastically with his usual smirk.

"Ignore him" The dwarven warrior, "Come on, let's get to the shooting range, see what you can do" Oryrn smiled softly at the child bouncing on her feet.

"Forgive me for interrupting" Her plans were put on hold as a courier had strolled up to them, tall and lean, dressed in simple clothes. The man looked like he was ready to spring into a run at any moment, which given the man's occupation that was a strong possibility. Lots of messages to be delivered after all. "But bann Teagan has requested your presence in his office"

"The bann?" Oryrn questioned, "What does he want with us?"

"I believe he wishes to offer you an assignment. He can tell you more" He left without even saying goodbye, holding unto a satchel on his waist tightly, making sure none of the contents inside would fall off.

Harding let out a sound of disappointment, but Sereda was quick to lift her chin. "Hey don't worry, I'll take care of whatever he needs of us and we can practice again, promise"

At that the dwarven girl smiled before running off. Sereda only smiled before finishing up with the others getting supplies sorted and left for Fort Connor. "Passionate one that little deshyr." Faren chuckled as they walked through Redcliffe village.

"She'll be good at the bow and maybe daggers. I'll make sure she has the basics so she can grow on that." Sereda mused.

"She's been nearly attached to you since we came here." Faren remarked with levity.

Oryrn let out a soft laugh, "Well, I believe you're the first dwarven warrior woman she's met. She's quite in awe with the figure you present"

"Oh please" She waved it off, "You make it sound like I'm one of those storybooks protagonist"

"They all start somewhere don't they?"

"You got the tragic backstory down" Faren quipped, which earned him half-angry glare from the dwarven lass. "Sorry"

Oryrn resisted the urge to rub his eyes. Faren did remind him of some of his mother's friends, the ones with a less than stellar reputation. As such, he was not one to mince his words. And that was without going into the rogue's sticky fingers, more than once he had to stop him from.

Now, Oryrn wasn't unfamiliar with acts of thievery considering who his dunmer mother was, but at least his mother had taken upon a very important personal oath, a code to guide her actions lest she falls to depravity. Which involved never stealing from those who didn't deserve it, or if there wasn't any other choice. She strived to hold herself up to a higher standard, which had left an impression on him in his early childhood. As such, Oryrn tried to emulate those same standards his mother set for herself.

He was no moral absolutist mind you; he knew when certain 'illicit' actions were called for.

Sereda though, his other dwarven companion, couldn't be more different than Faren if she tried. Strong willed, with an equally strong moral compass. The fact that said compass had to be compromised to survive ever since she escaped the Deep Roads was a point of contention to her. Letting Faren steal food so they could eat, it wasn't until they managed to earn some money on their own that they steered away from such activities.

At least Faren seemed to be on board with only taking from people who deserved it or had too much, so long as a part of it would be given to those in need.

Faren was good, his mother would approve.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Fort Connor... Named after Arl Eamon and Bann Teagan's father. Built after the Orlesian Empire was driven out of Ferelden. An impressive structure with large impenetrable walls, two small towers and a large main tower. Oryrn gave Eamon credit on where he placed his fort, being on a decent sized hill to overlook the highway and houses around the fort.

Guards roamed within and outside the impressive structure while a lone knight in heavy volcanic plate armor stood at the gate. A man Oryrn and the others had gotten know; Ser Perth. A formal but polite man around Oryrn's age, fair skinned with long red hair and goatee. "Well met Ser Oryrn!" The human knight stuck out his hand which the dunmer took and shook for a moment before releasing; "Bann Teagan is waiting in the main tower."

"Well met Ser Perth. Any reason for this meeting?" The Tamriel Templar questioned as they strolled beside the Redcliffe knight into the fort.

"Well people do notice when good deeds are done. Arl Eamon had wanted to meet with you, but after what happened at Ostagar he felt he had to go to Denerim post haste."

A grim nod came from Oryrn as he greeted a few guardsmen who came up to him.

"So for all our good deeds are we getting that huge castle out in the Hinterlands?" Faren questioned enthusiastically which garnered dry stares from the others.

Ser Perth bit back a groan; "You are not getting Winterwatch Tower, dwarf..." At that a whining groan came from said dwarf before Sereda smacked him on the back of the head.

As the knight lead them through the fort, various guards kept giving a strange look at the uncommon party. Mostly Shale, the golem did have the talent of drawing attention, to which he ignored without a care about what the fleshlings thought.

Reaching into the inner areas of the fort, on the second floor, they were lead into Bann Teagan's office. "My lord" Ser Perth announced respectfully as he opened the door, "The visitors as you requested"

Standing behind a desk overlooking various documents, a red-haired man with a goatee dressed in fine clothes looked up, his eyes staring for a long while at the golem. "Ah yes, thank you Ser Perth. That will be all" The knight saluted, and left them to conduct their business. "So, you're the adventurers who have been the talk of the town for a while now"

Faren smirked, "I'm sure they all comment on my handsome rugged looks"

Sereda was about to smack him when the bann laughed good naturedly, standing up and walking around his desk to see them closer. "Indeed, though now I see they're tall tales"

"Hah!" The rogue barked a laugh, "Short jokes, okay I like you"

The dwarven warrior sighed, smacking her own face.

"So by your witty tongue you must be Faren" The bann said with a polite nod, "That must make you Sereda and Oryrn" He greeted the other two respectively, "And..." He paused upon looking at Shale once more, "your golem"

A furious frown formed on Shale's stony features, "Call me someone's possession again and I will-"

"Not threaten the bann" Oryrn finished with a warning glare at the golem's direction. "That's Shale, forgive us. He's not kind on people viewing him like something that can be owned"

At that the Bann peered at the golem before giving a small head bow; "Apologizes master Shale." A grunt came from the golem before the noble turned back to Oryrn and Sereda; "I thank you all for coming."

"I gather this is something important if you wanted to meet us directly." Oryrn remarked in an honest tone. "Never thought I meet a Ferelden noble." The hidden dunmer paused; "Though I had figured the fact my being a foreigner had garnered attention."

Teagan nodded; "It did. My brother had the historians read every historical tome Redcliffe had of this Tamriel."

"You find anything?" Sereda asked out of her own curiosity.

"Sadly no, our countries seemed to have never encountered each other till now. Naturally it made us a bit wary of you."

Oryrn could understand that given the Orlesian occupation. "I had hoped my deeds would prove neither myself or my nation has any ill intent."

"They have proved you're a man of honor, but of course that could be a front to get a noble to loosen their guard." Teagan remarked as he went back to his desk. "I'll be honest, I do not believe you are a spy. But still, we choose to be cautious till today."

"It's always smart to think everyone will stab you in the back" Faren nodded.

Teagan tactfully said, "I wouldn't put it like that, but... it's not wrong either"

Never hurt to be cautious, that much Oryrn agreed with.

"Now, as to why I called you here" The bann walked to towards a large map of the Hinterlands hanged on the wall. "With the defeat at Ostagar, we are worried about the Darkspawn advance. Given they are known to use the Deep Roads to their advantage me and my brother are worried they might eventually emerge from this area." He tapped his finger at the lower end of a lake that wasn't far from Fort Connor, "Upon the cliff here there is an entrance to a dwarven thaig"

"A thaig?" Sereda suddenly exclaimed in surprise. "Give the location that must be..." She took a moment to recall, "Valammar I believe"

"That is correct" Teagan confirmed, "Shouldn't be surprised a dwarf knows about the thaig"

"You want us to scout the thaig then" Oryrn said, deducing what he wanted them to do. "Make sure there isn't Darkspawn activity entering from the Deep Roads there"

"Indeed" The bann nodded with a serious expression in his eyes. "We are taking measures to defend ourselves in case the Darkspawn advance from the south. But if they emerge from a location so close to Redcliffe I fear they'd overwhelm us quickly"

Oryrn crossed his arms; "If we find any we will eliminate them and seal any passages they're using."

"I don't have to remind you how dangerous this could be?"

Sereda remarked; "If it means getting a thaig back from those blighters I'm all for it. They took away enough from my people."

Teagan gave a nod of understanding. "Very well, if you need any supplies Ser Perth will help you. May the Maker keep you all safe."

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Oryrn had already gotten a taste of dwarven culture from his companion's stories about Orzammar. But seeing it for himself was something else entirely.

Although it was foolish to expect it, a tiny part of him thought he'd witnessed something like the dwemer ruins in Tamriel (ignoring the fact that dwemer were elves and the dwarves of Thedas certainly were not). That perhaps underground people developed in a very similar way. After all, both dwemer and dwarves conveniently shared the trait of being master smiths and builders of great ingenuity. So he expected to see an old city made plenty of metal and artificial constructs.

Gods, he was wrong.

What he found was nothing resembling the dwemer from home, but it did not disappoint him. Massive structures carved purely out of stone in intricate rectangular shapes, that if not for the passage of time having worn them down he suspected would put any human structure in Tamriel to shame, and even rival the creations of the ancient elves. Buildings that traversed down through the ever falling chasm through intricate tunnels of caves, a great stone bridge connecting to the other side, flanked by enormous status of dwarven warriors holding their mighty hammers aloft.

He could only speculate the history this place held, if walls could talk...

For all his wonderment at the sights, Faren could only whistle and say a small; "Nice." While Shale remained uncaring.

Sereda on the other hand, looked very melancholic at the sight. "Look at this thaig, so well preserved..." She muttered softly. "It almost feels like I'm back at Orzammar..."

Oryrn could see the pain in her eyes "You going to be alright?"

In the few weeks since their little group formed the dwarven warrior maiden and Templar had become strong friends. Enough so that she told him of why she was no longer welcomed in Orzammar. Framed for murdering her older brother by the younger brother. Stripped of her royal title as princess and even her own last name. It was a lot to take in for the dunmer, more so keeping his anger and outrage in check.

Betrayed by your own family... While it was not uncommon in Tamriel either, the thought of such an act made Oryrn sick. For Sereda it hurt even worse given how close she was to her younger brother Bhelen.

Or so she thought she was. As for Trian, those two had been arguing since they could speak. As much as they loathed one another she never wanted her older brother dead. Worst of all was how heartbroken her father was during all of this. It ached her heart that her family was broken in such a way.

Sereda let out a low sigh; "Still hurts, but I'll survive. You going to keep that look up? We are out of the village you know."

Since becoming friends Oryrn had told her a great deal, even what Dunmer really looked like.

"It's not really necessary, no" He said, letting his natural pigmentation return. "But it doesn't strain me either"

"Then why drop it all?" Faren drawled, leaning against a broken down statue.

"Think it's only polite amongst friends"

At that, Sereda couldn't help but give a small sincere smile. Friends... yeah, she did see these two as her friends. Casted out as she was, she could at least take comfort in knowing she wasn't alone in the world.

But that didn't change the fact she was homeless, directionless. She looked at the great things her people had built and all she could see was that which was forever denied to her. As far as they were concerned, Sereda was not one of them anymore, this thaig, what it represented. She was not welcome in dwarven lands anymore, only ghosts remained here, and even then who had joined the Stone would be looking down on her for daring to enter this place.

As she walked up towards one of the massive statues, solemnly looking at it as she placed her hand upon it, as if trying to connect to this place, Oryrn offered her a few words of comfort. "Orzammar, your culture, they will always be a part of you"

"But it doesn't want anything to do with me" She muttered, "Being exiled like this... it means you're not even alive to them anymore. You're a non-person, you don't exist in the eyes of the Ancestors, and you will never join the Stone."

"But you're innocent"

"And with no way to prove it" She sounded hopeless, "Because I can't go back"

The dunmer warrior wished there was something he could say to her. Tell her that she could find a new place to call home, even if it would never be the same. That it was-

"Ohhh suck it up already" Faren's exasperated voice droned.

Oryrn bit back a curse as Sereda turned to glare at him. "What did you just say?"

"I said suck it up" He shrugged, like it was no big deal. "Simple"

"Simple?!" Her shout echoed throughout the thaig. "No, no it's not fucking 'simple'! I was casted out, you have no idea what-!"

"Oh I know it far well than you can imagine" The rogue smirked, his finger tracing the simple mark on his cheek. "You were thrown out of your casts? Well I was born without one. From the day I came to the world this one already decided I was nothing. Just like it decided you are nothing either"

The former princess remained silent.

"Sure, it sucks balls what was done to you, but to just keep wailing on it like you've been doing?" Faren clicked his tongue, "Now that ain't no way to live. Look at it this way, you're nothing, the whole dwarven people thinks you're nothing just like me!" He spread his arms wide.

"...How is that meant to comfort me?" She muttered.

"Because it means you can be anything you want" His smile showed nearly all his teeth, "Orzammar threw you away? Well fuck them. The world treats you like you don't exist? Well prove it wrong by being whatever the hell you want to be"

Crass, as always but the man did have a point in his vulgar remarks. And Oryrn did know the man cared in his own weird way. His red eyes casted over to Shale that had remain silent and still like a statue. "You have any thoughts on this?"

"Should I concern myself with the emotions of fleshlings?"

That got a deadpan from the trio; "Your all heart Shale." Faren quipped with a snort; "Anyways, let's get going. Imagine you want to get back to Redcliffe to get that armor Owen is working on for you." He smirked over to Sereda.

It was sheer luck they found an experienced enough smith to craft the Bownammer armor from the schematics Oryrn had bought. Owen's way of thanking them for keeping the village and Hinterlands safe. The old smith had quite the time going over Oryrn's armor, shield and sword.

"Have to get this work done and speak with Teagan before anything," Sereda mused with a snort. Though she'd be lying if she did not say she was excited to get some REAL armor on.

As the continued forth, Oryrn hunched over to place a comforting hand on her shoulder, "As long as you're with us, you will have a home" He promised.

Sereda tried very hard to fight down the tears, grasping his armored hand with his own tightly, letting him know how grateful she was.

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* * *

 _ **No doubt some of you are wondering on the chances we made to the timetable here, Eamon being present at the Landsmeet and all.**_

 _ **Well when you remove the gameplay elements and focus on the timing, it's bizarrely convenient that Loghain had captured Jowan and poisoned Eamon by the time the group reached Lothering right after Ostagar.**_

 _ **For that to have happened he'd have to have set it all in motion BEFORE the battle at Ostagar even happened. And it's stated that his decision to abandon Cailan was a split second one.**_

 _ **So this is us trying to make sense of the convoluted time table and very convenient chain of events.**_


	17. Revelations in Denerim

**Disclaimer** : We do not own the Elder Scrolls or Dragon Age Series

 **Co-Author and Beta** : Etheral-23

 **Revelations in Denerim**

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Campfires lit up the area for the Wardens and their allies as nightfall came. After two days of traversing the Imperial highway the group would make it to Denerim in the morning. Theron sat beside Gin and Neria cleaning his weapons and gear as he wore a simple jerkin and leather pants. The roguish elf to his right ate some cooked rabbit as he observed Miara discussing on what they should do when reaching the city with Marcus. The Dalish elf kept an eye on Odahviing who rested close by along with Serana who spoke to her daughters.

The elven warrior would be lying in say he fully understood all he was told during those two days. Fully sentient dragons claiming to be the children of the Tamrielic dragon god Akatosh. Miara having the blood and soul of one these dragons. That part was as difficult to understand and doubt he ever could in honesty. But next part almost made him attack Serana upon learning she was undead.

Vampires... Actual real vampires, gods preserve him what did he get involved with.

After some reassurance and calming words from Neria and Gin, Theron relaxed. Somewhat... "How did you get used to having a dragon and vampire around?" He questioned the city elf who glanced at him while eating.

"I haven't, but since Serana saved my life after Ostagar I don't really care anymore. I just accept we are with very weird people and go from there." Gin shrugged as he resumed eating.

The dalish grunted, "And here I thought Sarya's acts of magic were hard to come to terms with"

"It's... a lot to take in, I know" Neria said with understanding. "But we can count them as strong allies."

Well, if anything having a dragon on their side was a great boon in their quest against the Blight... even if it would take some time getting used to the whole 'talking dragon' part.

Regardless, perhaps what he should be thinking about was their next move. Theron was informed that their task as Wardens had hit a severe blow by one of those human lords holding them accountable for their king's death at Ostagar, when in fact it had been that very human who left his king and the rest of the army to die. Because Shems were a bunch of ungrateful and treasonous curs like that.

So now even the very people they had to protect would be hunting them down like criminals... and they were going straight to the human capital.

Call him paranoid, but did not believe that was the best idea.

He made his opinion know as he called over the campfire, loud enough for the others to hear him. "We are to go to 'Denerim', right?" At the nods of confirmation, he continued. "I do believe our party is bound to draw more than a bit of attention. With or without a dragon"

Odahviing grunted uncaringly, already knowing he would have to keep a good distance from any human settlements.

"I do get what you mean" Alistair, holding a plate with stew, agreed. "A group as diverse as ours? That gets attention quickly. That and, you know, some of us wearing Warden armor. Might as well be hanging a bullseye over our chests"

"I've been discussing that with Miara." Marcus addressed as he gave some food to Loke. "We need to find a way to stay unnoticed."

Miara lifted a finger; "And I have a solution, hooded cloaks with the right enchantments."

Sitting close by Brianna, Leliana cocked her head; "Where would find any cloaks? As well as the proper size for some of us." Her gestured to Sofie who was walking over and then towards Sten who sat some distance away from the group. "Serana and yourself are good, but for the rest of us..."

"I made plenty. And some the right size for our Qunari and Sofie, they're stored back in my house." Miara brings up garnering questioning looks; "What?"

"Uh and how do we get to Tamriel and back in a few days?" Brianna brings up while reading.

"That's why we have Butler!" Theron froze as Sarya chimed happily while strolling over and plopping down beside Neria.

"Butler?" A few questioned as Sarya received several glares from her mothers and sister. Morrigan seemed to have heard the conversation as she walked over from her campfire out of curiosity.

Oh Sarya and her mouth... Sofie glanced to her mothers who looked at one another before both sighed. "Okay." The older Dunmer spoke up as she stood; "I am about to bring up a topic I know is taboo in Thedas but not in Tamriel." She remarked slowly as she peered to everyone and then Sten; "For you I know we're likely stressing your tolerance with everything. But I hope you can endure some more?"

A long grunt came from the Qunari but nothing more. The Dragonborn was going to take that as an 'okay'.

Miara cleared her throat, and prayed; "Summoning."

"Summoning?" Brianna repeated, "Summoning... what exactly?"

"Well Conjuration involves a number of things" Sarya was already explaining, "By manipulating the energies of the outer worlds; we can call forth the entities that lie beyond-"

"Oh gods" The dalish elf's displeasure was evident. "You're going to summon that demon"

Immediately, the camp was in uproar. From Neria who suddenly stood up, a horrified look on her face. Brianna looked cautious but also... intrigued? To say nothing of Alistair who was looking at them as though they had committed a grave sin. Sten's hand had already gone to his sword, years of qunari discipline burned into his mind already putting him on alert.

Leliana was praying, her gaze shifting from Sofie to her mothers in concern. While Morrigan could not hide the amused smile growing on her face, she was obviously taking delight from all this.

"How could do you allow such practices?!" Alistair shouted in a clear show of disapproval.

"You summon demons?!" Neria blurted, "T-The Circle is no stranger to binding spirits and keeping demons trapped, but the fact that Tamriel could be so foolhardy as to-!"

"Enough!" Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, it was Marcus who had brought the camp to a halt. His silver eyes gazing intently at every member of their party who had shown their disgust for such a notion. "I remember back in Highever, when my family was about to be slaughtered, Miara had summoned a spectre, the ghost of a man from an actual, honest to the Maker, afterlife. The spirit, the man, protected my family with courage and honor"

The camp remained silent after that.

"Time and again our friends from Tamriel keep revealing things that... are hard for us to wrap our minds around"

"Sorry about that" Miara quipped, though not insincerely.

The noble continued, "And time and again they have proven themselves trustworthy allies" He nodded in their direction. "Your summoning magic, it deals with summoning those demons from... Oblivion was it? Your equivalent of the Fade"

"Amongst other things" Sarya simply replied.

"But... it's too dangerous!" Neria still said in defiance, she just couldn't accept the idea. "It would only be a matter of time before a group of powerful mages decide to-"

"Neria, conjuration magic has existed for well over four thousand years" The vampire stated.

The elven mage fell into a stunned silent. Alistair and Leliana weren't faring much better at that revelation.

"Mage kings enslaving people with magic, armies of demons threatening the mortal world? We've dealt with that, all of it" Serana continued, "And every time, Tamriel has beaten those dark forces back. It has shown us the dangers of such magic, and we've only grown wiser from those experiences. Refined those arcane arts for generations to make them safe"

"Still doesn't make it any less dangerous." Sten spoke up in a steely monotone.

Miara nodded; "Absolutely, any rookie mage trying conjuration should never practice alone without their teacher. Or unless they extensively trained enough to 'fully' know and understand the Daedra they want to summon. The Mages Guild along with every arcane academy in our country makes it very clear to every student that Daedra are extremely dangerous beings."

"And before you say anything hun," Sarya quipped as she saw Neria about to speak again; "There is no possession. Daedra do not possess people like those thought constructs in your Fade. A Dremora would laugh at you and then kill you for the insult."

Leliana slowly peered over to Sofie who reassured her; "All of you will be fine. Butler is a personal summoning my mothers' attained years ago. He is one of four Daedra we have earned trust, respect, and friendship with. That is beyond difficult but not unattainable. The other three are also personal summonings. Two being warriors, one a merchant, and Butler." The Nord looks over to Theron; "And you met him at least?"

Theron nodded dryly. "Take it that was an experience?" Gin remarked unsure to how to take this topic. All this was way over his head.

"Can we see him?" All eyes turn to Brianna who finally spoke up. Neria only squawked at her friend's question; "What do we have to lose? I think Tamriel seems to know what they are doing if they have been working on this for thousands of years."

Sten muttered something in his native tongue.

"Of course!" Sarya brightly said, standing up and dusting herself off. "We do need him to get our stuff after all!"

Purple magic shined in her hand, the same as Theron had seen before. Leliana clung to an amulet of Andraste while Alistair made no discretion of grabbing his sword. Most of the Thedosians tensed as Sarya casted a great sphere of swirling purple arcane energy, from which it emerged a tall being with coal black skin, black markings, dark eyes and horns on his head.

"You called, my lady?" The being asked in a regal, perfectly sophisticated tone while giving a court nod.

"...That's a demon?" Gin muttered, rather unimpressed. "I feel the Chantry has been overselling some things"

"My, oh my" Morrigan approached, a deeply fascinated look evident in her eyes as she looked at the daedra up and down. "So this is a dremora. He certainly feels much different from the spirits of the Fade"

"You didn't draw blood" Alistair remarked, stunned. Somehow the fact that Sarya had not used a drop of blood was making him feel far more alarmed than the actual DEMON standing nearby.

"Bloodletting to power conjuration magic stopped being a thing many thousands of years ago" Sarya explained, "Of course, that doesn't mean blood magic has disappeared from Tamriel, or living sacrifices for that matter. That's still very illegal and wrong by the way. Those sorts of rituals depend on-"

"No" Neria shook her head vehemently. "Y-You just can't do that. Summoning demons without empowering yourself with blood? That's... that's impossible"

"Honestly." Butler quipped; "How primitive and archaic is the magical arts of these lands?" The dremora cocked a brow at Morrigan who inspected him while gazing at all the people around; "I see you have gained new comrades my lady, but AH!" Theron froze as Butler pointed to him; "I remember you! Grateful you're not pointing an arrow at me this time."

Brianna stood up as she came over beside the swamp witch; "He does feel quite different from an entity of the Fade."

"Indeed he does."

"Bri please get away from... him." Neria looked almost in a near panic.

"I think we're fine Neria." Amell said gazing to her friend and then back to Butler; "We are aren't we?"

"While I am an entity of war that is not the path I choose." The Dremora responded before looking to Sarya and Miara; "Was there something you require mistresses?"

Miara grunted; "Cloaks"

"Is it a formal event?" The demonic being asked, "Will you be requiring a certain theme, or perhaps something more daring in design to go with your more risqué attire?"

Miara smiled mirthfully at that, "Just cloaks of concealment"

"Not exactly the ideal if you wish to attend a party" He joked in a completely serious tone, with a snap of fingers he summoned a chest next to him. "I do believe my mistresses like to be the center of attention"

The dunmer woman gave him a dry look, along with her lover and their elven daughter. "That'll be all, Butler"

"Of course, ma'am" With an elegant flourish, the dremora vanished in the same swirl of energy he manifested from.

"'Like to be the center of attention'" The Dragonborn grumbled as she knelt before the chest and opened it. "So what if I like to use outfits that show a bit of cleavage?"

Serana quipped, "To be fair, dunmeri attires are very daring for most cultures. Your 'bit of cleavage' would make a priestess faint"

"Oh this coming from you? The one whose outfits always scream; 'Look-Upon-My-Bosom'"

Poor Neria muttered in desperation, "How can they be bantering like normal after summoning a demon...?"

"They didn't use blood or sacrifices..." Alistair did not fare much better while he murmured to himself.

"Pourquoi a fait je rejoins ces gens? (Why did I join these people?)" The former Lay-sister and Bard muttered before peering towards Sofie.

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* * *

Sarya scribbled away at her journal as most of the party went to bed, with the exception of those on night watch duty. Apparently it was common for Sten to do a lot of those, guess her display of magic gave him more reason to stay awake and keep an eye on things, namely her and her family. From what she read of Qunari culture, she hated it already, uncultured, oppressive, paranoid barbarians...

After her display of magic they had answered like a hundred of Neria's questions. 'Yes Neria, there are very harmful daedra and dealing with them can be extremely dangerous. So teaching students how to be careful with them was imperative for all magic academies', 'No Neria, living sacrifice is not only illegal in Tamriel, it's considered wrong and evil', 'Yes Neria, mind manipulation magic exists, and no we don't need bloodletting to achieve it', 'Please don't run, Neria'.

Poor girl was a product of her environment. Sarya was not so naive as to believe there weren't magics whose existence could be morally wrong, or even downright evil, but to fear a type of magic because of its past or the risks it carried was tantamount foolishness. All magics were inherently dangerous, as her mother would say; 'Magic, by its very nature, is volatile and dangerous'. It wasn't just about controlling the elements so you wouldn't accidentally set everything on fire, or freeze someone to death or such. Even healing could be dangerous if done in excessive amounts, the flesh could become cancerous if the restorative energies were not applied within a certain limit.

The Telvanni mage clicked her tongue as she scribbled away her findings regarding the Fade. That dream realm just had to be an Oblivion Realm, it was the only way to explain why magic here run the risk of becoming uncontrollable even if the caster wasn't actively using their natural talent. All it took was a child throwing a tantrum to accidentally unleash their magic and harm someone. Whereas in Tamriel because of the anuic magic from Aetherius, the only time magic could run out of control was when the user was actively casting, rather than going about their everyday life.

Not to mention how everyone in Tamriel had the potential to use magic rather than a select few in Thedas...

It certainly was one more factor that fueled Thedas' fear and paranoia regarding magic, one Sarya could understand, but in the millennia that this kept happening it looked like there had been few attempts to change the system into one that could give their mages a valuable place in society and provide things mundane means couldn't.

The scholar in Sarya wanted to debate with their mages and authorities, the Telvanni mage in Sarya wanted to subjugate those fools and make them listen. But that would be too 'dragon' of her, her mothers' wouldn't approve.

Speaking of, Miara and Serana were busy making a few adjustments to the cloaks they had gotten from Butler; just to make sure they would fit everyone in their party. Her human mother looked over Sarya's shoulder out of curiosity.

"Are you upset, honey?"

"Why do you say that?" Sarya replied as she kept writing.

"Because you've been writing; 'superstitious backwater peasants' repeatedly but in different ways"

"...I should make my observations more objectively shouldn't I?"

"I'd say" Serana muttered, "Sound a bit too much like Neloth there"

"I wish Master Neloth was here" Sarya lamented, "Could really use someone with his speech skill to show how stupid the Chantry is"

"Good thing he isn't" Miara grunted in displeasure at the thought, continuing on with her sewing. "Half the country would be chasing him for heresy, the other half would be burning"

"You know, it's saying things like that that makes Neria so nervous" The young Amell's voice was heard as she approached the mothers and daughter. Bereft of her Warden robes, Brianna wore a simple linen shirt and pants that did little to hide the beautiful curves and endowed bust size. Her long raven black hair was loose, and her blue eyes had a dull gleam against the glow of the fire in front of them.

She took a seat right next to Sarya, trying to get a good look at what she was writing. Only to frown in confusion. "Is that code or something?"

"Dunmeri actually" Sarya replied, "I always write my journals in dunmeri when I'm not publishing something"

"Ah. I forgot you come from a different continent sometimes..." A thought occurred to the human mage. "Then how come we are speaking Common right now?"

"Your Common and ours seems to be exactly identical" Serana supplied.

"...The odds of that happening are borderline insulting to contemplate"

"I dunno" Miara merely mumbled out, "Blame the gods, I always do"

Brianna figured she could later ask more about the Nine Divines later; "Have to say this has been interesting night."

"Besides your best friend and former Thedosian Templar having panic attacks over Tamriel's school of conjuration?" Sarya quipped with a long drawl.

Amell grunted; "I can't speak for Alistair, I blame Wynne and Irving for the way Neria is." The bitterness in her voice caught the trios' attention.

"Not fan of their tutelage I gather?" Serana queried.

"They..." Brianna sighed as ran a hand through her raven locks; "They are not bad people. Nor are they bad mages, quite the opposite. But those two are so ingrained by Chantry edicts they might as well be apologists!" The young human mage strained to keep her voice down but her anger was slipping through. "Neria couldn't have had two better teachers in the arcane, but they also put in all that Chantry nonsense into her."

Miara took a seat on the ground beside her daughter and Brianna; "Take it you're not religious?" Oh that was a nasty glare she received on that question.

"Follow a faith that makes it alright to snatch children right out of their parent's arms while crying and screaming? No I don't follow the Chantry."

"Is that what happened to you?" Serana asked with some concern.

Brianna shuddered as she rubbed her hands; "I..." She paused as she looked to the ground.

"Hey." Sarya patted her shoulder; "You don't have to tell us."

"...No, you should know." The young woman took a deep breath; "I come from the Amell Family. We're a noble house in Kirkwall, that's in the Free Marches. I was the oldest of five when my magic manifested when I was four. Does not matter if you're a noble or not, you're stripped of all titles and taken away. My mother was in tears, screaming as they took me. Guess I can count myself lucky not being put in the Kirkwall Circle." She rubbed her arms and soon her eyes as she could remember that day vividly. "Though what happened to Neria was just as bad if not worse. The Templars beat her father as they took her away..."

Looks of anger and indignation marred their faces. "Was it necessary? He was a single man and they armored knights"

"He wasn't a man, not to them. He was an elf" Brianna replied, "That is enough for a lot of people here"

Miara shook her head in disappointment; her heart went for these young mages who had been forced to endure so much.

Brianna sighed, staring intently into the flames. "I envy you Tamriels, far more than I can put into words" The Amell admitted. "You come from a place where you are not locked up because of your magic, hard thing to do when everyone is capable of it" The concept alone was just so... astonishing. Tamriel would be Tevinter's paradise, and the Chantry's worst nightmare. "It's not only allowed, it's encouraged. You can do as you wish with it" Brianna pulled a small flame from the bonfire, holding it in her hand. "But here... here we are told we are proof of the Maker's hate"

"Do not idolize Tamriel" Miara advised. "We had gone through our own difficult times. And not always has magic been celebrated as you'd like to believe"

"And yet your mages enjoy far more freedom than any mage here ever will, than I ever will" She clenched her fist, making the flame banish from her grasp. "Even as a Warden, away from the Circle... I still feel trapped sometimes"

She could still remember her mother's heartbroken face when the Templars tore her away from her arms, hear the anguished cries that were the last sounds she had heard from her mouth. Taken away from everything she knew, her birthright, her family, and she had been powerless to stop it.

Brianna hates that feeling. She hated that hopelessness, the power the Templars and Chantry lorded over the Circles with complete impunity.

If one's path was shaped by their own knowledge, their ideals and morals, then it was only through strength that they could actually follow it through. Perseverance, strength of will... raw power.

In the end, it all came down to power.

Brianna wanted to be free, but she would never feel free so long as she kept fearing the power the Templars had over her. Even as a Warden that fear persisted. So when she looked at these foreign mages, so free, so brave... so powerful, Brianna felt envy. She wanted that strength, she craved it, and she needed it.

In them, the Amell saw the key to her release. The way to never let anyone ever cage her again.

"I... wanted to ask you something"

Sarya nodded towards her, "Go on"

The human mage took a deep breath, "I want you to train me"

That caught the two mothers and their daughter by surprise; "Train you?" Miara cocked her head; "I've seen enough of your talents to know you are well skilled as you are. Whoever taught you did a masterful job."

"Senior Enchanter Anya, she taught me to never stop learning." Sadness etched in her eyes; "She died a year ago, old age. She never joined those stupid Fraternities of Enchanters, but she was always outspoken when it came to the Templars and Chantry. Did not garner her many friends but was respected all the same. Point is; I want to learn your ways of magic and the sword."

Sarya turned to her mothers who bore an unreadable expression; "Why do you want to learn from us?" Miara questioned in a steely tone.

"I can't say it's for the greater good or anything like that. I'm not Neria; I want to never know fear of being taken by anyone ever again."

Serana's expression became more unreadable for a moment; "I can understand that, child" Her voice was heavy, forlorn. "To be caught in the winds of fate, pulled from one side to another with no agency of your own... Yes, I understand what you want very well. But power alone is not enough; strength is a means, not a goal"

"Power for power's sake is meaningless" Miara added, her own experiences had taught her that much. "And power can corrupt"

"You sound like the old mages at the Tower" Brianna replied dispassionately. "I know what I want. I want to be strong; I want to be in control of my life. For that I need influence, I need power. Because no one, absolutely no one, will give me the freedom I desire... and the people who would rather see me in chains outnumber me greatly. You say power alone is no goal, but until I obtain it, I have no other way to actually set out any sort of true goal for myself. I'll always be caught in forces beyond my control"

Miara and Serana shared a concerned glance. "What do you even want to learn from us?"

"Everything" The reply came out as a breathy whisper, laced with desperation. "The things the Chantry considers heretical, the magics your people have refined for centuries. I don't care if it's primal or dark, old or new, holy or profane... Please, grant me your knowledge" She begged of them, "You may look at me and think I'm heading down a dangerous path, but the truth is that I've been on this path all my life... because other people, always other people, have put me here to begin with"

Her eyes glistened, almost as if she was trying to hold back tears. The desperation of her life as a mage, the visions of an uncertain future, the lack of any sort of control over her own life. Always bound by invisible chains... Brianna wanted to shatter those chains, more than anything else.

"And once you have that power" Miara asked, "What will you do with it?"

The human mage let out a humorless laugh, "I'll finally be able to choose. To go wherever I want, see the things I've always wanted to see... Meet with people I've always want to meet"

"And if that means abandoning the Wardens or Neria?" Miara quipped.

"I'm won't abandon the Wardens in a time like this. I'm not that selfish. And I would never leave Neria, ever." Bri glared at the Dunmer; "I'll be dead from the Taint in thirty years, but I want to make those years count for every second. And for them to be mine, my life, my choices."

The dragonborn leaned in; "And you will have to take responsibility of those choices. There is a gravity for every choice. Small or large, every single decision will matter. And some can cost people their lives if you're not careful."

"I am not a child, Miara" The Amell replied sternly, crossing her arms. "I may have been kept from making any sort of meaningful decision on my own, but I'm not so ignorant to the world around me as to believe that only I am affected by them"

The dunmer held up her hands, "Very well, you're a grown woman. So-"

"I'll teach you"

Sarya, who had remained quiet throughout the whole exchange, was beaming widely at the human mage who blinked a couple of time in surprise, staring back at her.

"That desire to know more, to have more, and to BE more... Yes, I can respect that quite well. Those are wonderful traits for a mage with ambition"

Miara held back a sigh; she wasn't too fond of the Telvanni ways that Sarya looked up to so much. At least her daughter crushed her opponents by showing up she was superior to them in terms of intellect and skill rather than underhanded methods and complicated plots in court.

And if Miara herself was being honest, she too respected Brianna's desire. As a dragon, having power was very important to her; though she tried to contain those instincts least they drove her through a darker path. Regardless, Miara did find herself curious to what direction Amell's path would lead her, that drive to have control of her own life, that ambition to become stronger, those were respectable traits in-and-of themselves.

"I'll teach you everything you can learn" Sarya grasped Brianna's hands tightly, "And the whole world will know how powerful you can be"

"Truly?" Brianna smiled with blooming hope.

"All I ask is that someday, you pour all your power and intellect into showing the Chantry just how much of a broken institution their Circle is and how people like you, who have grown beyond their reach, can make better job than they ever could"

At those words Brianna smiled; "Oh you got a deal."

"I suppose if you're really interested in learning the sword as well I'll teach you then." The former Circle mage looked to Miara who grinned; "If you're that interested." the young human nodded quickly. "Very well." And she could look for a way to cure the Blight while at it. There should be some way. She was starting to like these kids.

Serana bit back a long sigh; "Well if nothing else this will prove interesting." And entertaining if this girl can survive Sarya's eccentrics. "Shame we can't get Neria into this to."

"I have enough work helping her learn that Arcane warrior skills." Miara crossed her arms; "Whatever else I can do along the way I'll try."

Brianna shook her head; "Just not your conjuration. You won't get her to do anything for that. Or any dark arcane magic for that matter. She really is a goody-goody."

"A shame" Sarya lamented.

Serana shrugged, "Well, if she doesn't want to it's her loss"

"Brianna, my dear, your training starts tomorrow" An excited grin formed on Miara's face. "Ohhh I can already imagine it, some light armored robes would look great for you. And the sword design, hmm, a thin longsword would suit you"

"And she's got the 'I-am-going-to-smith-a-lot' face now" The vampire deadpanned, "It's identical to the face she makes when we're making love"

Sarya cringed audibly while Brianna shuddered. These were her teachers, she realized, the thought frightening her and exciting her all at once.

* * *

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* * *

"Okay, I'll say it" Alistair spoke up, adjusting the dark blue cloak around his armor while keep his head covered by the hood. "A whole party of people wearing cloaks is incredibly suspicious, to the point it defeats the purpose of wearing cloaks"

As the group marched towards Denerim, they had already donned the long cloaks Miara had brought for them as to keep themselves from garnering too much attention, the Warden's gear was a dead giveaway, while the mages had to conceal their staves inside line wrapped bags as to not let the entire world know their status as magic users.

"It does feel counterproductive" Theron mentioned

"I did say these cloaks are enchanted" Miara replied, half of her face hidden behind the hood, the visible part of her skin once more changed to a white color with her illusions, which Sarya had done as well. "Subterfuge enchantments work in different ways. Either stops your gear from making noise, making it blend into the shadows more seemingly, or make people not pay attention to you"

"Are you saying we won't be seen at all?" Gin asked in surprise. He really could have used something like that in some of his 'jobs' for Slim.

"It's not infallible" The Dragonborn explained, "But the everyday peasant is already inattentive with how many things they have going on in their own lives. Guards won't be much trouble unless you speak to them directly face to face, or actually do something that draws attention. But it won't work on more observant individuals"

"At least it should limit the odds of Loghain's people spotting us the moment we enter the city" Marcus added.

"That's the plan." Sofie murmured walking beside Leliana and Sten. "Next to learning what happened at the landsmeet we should get more supplies."

"And do any odd job around the city to get money to buy said supplies." Sarya quipped with a grin; "We use Tamriel currency too much and people will get suspicious."

Leliana adjusted her cloak; "The Chantry board always has something on it. And we can look around; you can find someone in need of help and willing to pay."

"Wonderful." Morrigan drawled.

Gin got close beside Marcus; "Those of us who have family here. Mind we go see them?"

"Go ahead; just be careful about revealing yourself." He paused; "Mother Mallol will be at the chantry, I'll go see her."

Brianna rested a hand on Neria's shoulder; "You can see your father." Those words made Neria stop in place, making Brianna turn to her in concern. "Neria?"

The elven mage looked so conflicted, her gaze shifted around as her mouth opened and closed repeatedly. "I... I haven't seen him in years" She said, her voice suddenly heavy. "Shou-Should I see him?"

"Of course you should" The Amell said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Why shouldn't you?"

"It's been so long" Neria sighed, "I grew up knowing I'd never see him again. Now I'm not in the Circle anymore, and I have no idea how our journey is going to end up and..." She paused, pursing her lips. "What am I even going to say to him?"

Brianna gave her friend a sympathetic look. "You talk as though the two of you are strangers"

"We might as well be" Neria sadly reply. "I was so young when they took me. I... maybe it's best if I don't go to the alienage. It'd save us both heartache in the long run" Gin said he rarely spoke to people anymore. If she just suddenly barged into his life again only for her to leave it and never return, again, it'd break him.

An angry frown formed in the Amell's features. "No" She said, with such firmness it took Neria aback. "No more of this moping self-doubting attitude of yours. Not when it comes to your family. You're going to go see your father"

"B-Bri-"

Her longtime friend gave her a pained expression; "If given the chance I would do anything to see my mother, father, and siblings again. I wouldn't waste that chance for anything."

Neria stared at her friend for the longest time before feeling a nudge on her hip. She looked down at her Mabari who made a whimpering sound. "Think I should go to?" Bran barked twice which made the elf sigh; "Alright..."

Miara grinned, "In the meantime we can see what we can do around the city."

"Sounds like a plan." Alistair grinned before getting serious; "There are a few gang elements in the back alleys here so watch yourself."

Sofie popped her knuckles as she smiled; "Always up for a good fight."

"Somehow knew you'd say that." Loke seem to bark in agreement.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Did the crowd get bigger when they were last here? That was the question in Miara's head as they entered the large city with Fort Drakon standing ever vigilant. "Maker it has been a long time since I was here;" Leliana mused with a smile as she watched the crowd. "I wonder what kind of shoes they have for sale at the market."

"Shoes?" Sarya and Miara chorused as she looked back to the redhead.

"I've always loved shoes. And you can learn a lot by what people wear on their feet." Leliana peered over the two Tamriels, "Don't tell me shoe fashion is not big in Tamriel"

"For high class Cyrodiil, High Rock and Summerset, definitely" Serana supplied, "In Skyrim, people's fashion for shoes extends to how well they shield you from getting frostbite"

The bard's face lit up, her imagination already taking her to "Oh I'd love to see what kind of shoes they have in your lands"

"And this conversation has quickly grown inane for me" The swamp witch made her displeasure know. "Please, let us do something more productive"

"Alright, listen up" The noble called their attention, "Everyone has different things to do. I'll go consult with Mother Mallol about what happened at the Landsmeet. Alistair, Sten, you're with me" The two nodded in reply. "Gin, you said you wanted to go to the Alienage, now's your chance"

"I can also get information, have some ties to the underground that will be useful"

"And those ties would be?"

"The sort you would not approve of"

That was enough for the noble to understand, "Of course" He sighed, "Well, I'm not going to say no, not at a time like this"

The city elf nodded before giving the elven mage a look, "So, you ready?"

"Y-Yes" Neria did not sound ready, but he doubted many would be in her shoes.

"I'd like to join them" Theron added, "See for myself how elves fare here"

"Very well" The noble nodded before turning to the others. "Get us money and supplies. If you can build connections that will keep us posted on the goings on here the better." With Leliana's experience as a bard, they should be able to establish one or two informants for the right price "There is a bar near the docks called the Pearl, we'll meet there at sunset" With a farewell nod, her turned towards the Chantry, Loke, Sten and Alistair following closely behind.

"Oh, I know!" Sarya brightly said, "Last time I was here I sent a letter to the Mages' Collective, let's see if we can find them" She grasped the amber eyed woman's hand and began dragging her through the crowd. "Come on Morri!"

The swamp witched mouthed incredulously; 'Morri?'

Sofie turned to Brianna, "You're not joining them? Figured you'd like to meet mages who do not answer to the Circle"

"Maybe later, for now I'd rather avoid Morrigan's company, even if Sarya's there as well... She is most unpleasant"

"Product of her environment, much like Neria." Miara expressed as she gazed at the crowd. "Sofie, go check the Chantry board with Leli, Bri you can come with me and Serana or go with them."

"I'll go with them." The Amell chirped happily as she got close to the tall Nordic woman. Much to the former Bard's ire as they strolled off.

Miara turned to the city elf as he and the other two were about to leave. "Gin, those 'ties' of yours to the underground. I remember how you said you would steal from stuck up humans before" She grinned, "They're Thieves' Guild aren't they?"

Neria and Theron gave him a disapproving look, but he ignored them. "Yeah"

"Let me talk to them, I know how to make business with a Guild"

The shaggy haired elf quirked an eyebrow but shrugged, "Alright, look up Slim Couldry, he's got a business nearby. Tell him you know me" Without another word, the three left, but even as they parted they could hear Neria's muffled disapproving words to Gin, who seemed to pay them no mind.

Serana sighed as she crossed her arms; "So just the two of us, once again."

"I know; if we just had Lydia or Jordis along with us too it'd be like old times." The hidden dunmer chuckled after receiving a glare from her lover; "Kidding, kidding." She slowly froze as she swore she felt someone watching her. Actually if she were honest she felt it the moment she entered the city. But that couldn't-. She stopped as surveying the area as she a familiar young dwarf standing in the market place. "Sandal?"

Serana cocked a brow as she followed her lover's eyes. "Wasn't that one of two dwarves we saved in Lothering?" Both were a little weird but she couldn't forget the blond hair one with eyes so blue they looked like the ocean.

And sure enough it was that very same strange Dwarven boy who was smiling directly at them and was waving as well close by his father near Gorim's market stall.

"Hello~" The young dwarven lad greeted them in that awkward fashion of his.

"Sandal, don't talk to strangers-Oh!" His father cut off his admonishment the moment he turned to see who Sandal was talking to. "If it isn't our saviors from Lothering! Well, two of them at least" He beckoned them to come closer, to which the two did.

"It's good to see you two made it out alright to Denerim" Miara smiled pleasantly at them.

"I should say, we were fortunate most of our goods were spared" The older dwarf said, "But, my lady is it safe for you to be traveling here considering who your companions are? Teyrn Loghain has declared the Wardens are-"

"Shhhh" She shushed him, placing a finger to her lips as she drew closer, whispering to him. "We are trying to keep a low profile. Trust me; we know what Loghain's been doing. Which is exactly why we're here, we need to know what's been going on"

"Ah, of course of course!" The dwarven made swiftly nodded. "Don't worry, my lips are sealed"

"Thank you" Serana said, "So, you're making business with Gorim?"

"I do, ah; you do know him by chance?"

"Know her? She pretty much bought nearly all of my schematics" The auburn haired dwarf in question jovially spoke, appearing from behind his stall, carrying a couple of heavy boxes in his arms. "Did your lady love enjoy them?"

"Oh she did" Miara mirthfully replied. The elf extended her hand; "Miara Redoran, Serana spoke highly of you. And I must say Dwarven armors and weaponry is fantastically beautiful!"

"Gorim Saelac." The former warrior chuckled as he shook the woman's hand; "Lady Volkihar said your enthusiasm towards smithing could rival Wade's, she wasn't exaggerating." His smile soon turned serious; "I'm glad you're all okay, Between Bodahn and everything I heard I feared the worst."

Serana waved it off; "We're okay, we just need to know what happened at the Landsmeet."

At that Gorim shook his head; "And I honestly thought Dwarven politics were a headache."

"At least it's more blunt than Orlais." Bodahn snorted before peering to Miara and Serana. "I'm glad we did run into you again. I had a proposition for you and your group."

"And that is?"

"I'd like to help and join you." Both ladies blinked at that; "What?"

"No offense, but as far as Loghain is concerned we're the enemy of Ferelden." Serana brings up; "And there is your son you have to take into account."

"I know" Bodahn let out a weary sigh. "But we need to continue our businesses, there is no eating otherwise"

"Food would be the last of your problems" Miara pointed out.

"Which is why I believe traveling with your party is our best choice!" The dwarven man said, gesturing at them with both his arms. "I've seen your battle prowess with my own eyes, yours and your companions', superior skill have I seldom seen. Besides, a merchant who can procure all manner of goods would only benefit you"

"Hmm" The dunmer in disguise crossed her arms, pondering his proposal. "We can't hand them everything ourselves"

"Not when our coin comes from Tamriel" Serana agreed, "That's a sure way for Loghain to track our movements"

Miara nodded slowly as she turned to the merchant. "I'll have to consult with the others, Bodahn"

"If I might add, you can't go wrong with Bodahn." Gorim interjected with a grin; "He's a good man and an amazing merchant."

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

A revered mother hymned to some children as Marcus, Sten, and Alistair with Loke entered the Chantry. The holy temple was partially full with many people in mourning. Those who lost people in Ostagar and Cailan. True to Miara's words no one paid any attention to them as they walked around. The young Cousland's eyes scanned around the Chantry as he saw many sisters and mothers speaking with the grieving.

"Don't want to think on how many were lost." the former Templar muttered with grief as he saw children crying and holding onto their mother. He slowly peered to Sten; "Do Qunari mourn their dead?"

"Yes." the silence following said there would be no elaboration further. Sofie could talk to this man better than he could.

A whimpered came from the mabari before his ears perked and ran ahead. "Loke!" The noble hissed before hurrying to follow along with the others. A few turned at the sight of a large Mabari hound running through, which made a few people gasp or jump out of the way. The trio chased the hound into a small library where Marcus sighed as he saw a surprised Mallol almost tackled by a happy Loke.

"Loke?" It was hard not to recognize the hound after so many years, "Then-" Looking up; she let out a soft startled gasp.

A large relieved smile spread in the young noble's lips, "Mother Mallol" He called out to her.

The Chantry sighed, allowing herself to smile. "My Lord Cou-" She stopped before she could go any further, "Young Marcus" Part of her wanted to embrace him out of joy, but she refrained herself. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you are alive"

"It was a close call on Ostagar" Marcus softly spoke, with a wave of her hand he beckoned her to follow him deeper into the small library, where they talked in whispers. "I am traveling with the Wardens, I've heard Loghain-"

"Has branded them traitors, I know" The dark haired Mother replied, eyeing his companions. "I regret to tell you that many here believe Loghain's claims. It is prudent you keep the fact you are here a secret"

"What happened at the Landsmeet?" Marcus asked her, "We were delayed in our journey and we couldn't present our case"

The Mother's gaze became apprehensive. "Maker, it's not good. Ferelden is pretty much divided now, Loghain declared himself Regent, half the bannorns and arlings do not recognize his claim, while the other half is siding with him"

"Regent?" The Cousland replied incredulously, silver eyes widening. "What about Anora, did she allow this?"

"The queen stays her hand" Mother Mallol sighed, "She's letting her father act as he pleases without interfering"

That... sounded nothing like Anora. She never rested on her laurels, especially in a crisis like this. "Anora would never do that." Marcus spoke in resolute.

"She is still a young woman, and like all of us can be in shock. And grief..." Mallol sighed heavily; "She mourns her husband, our late king. But what was spoken at the Landsmeet... Lady Alfstanna had never seen the queen in such a state. Especially everything her father and Howe said..." Mentioning Rendon's name felt like a cruse as Mother spoke.

"Darkspawn ravage these lands and the people would rather fight amongst themselves... Complacent..." Sten murmured garnering looks from the others.

Mallol blinked wide eyed at the towering man before turning back to Marcus who sighed; "Mother Mallol this is Sten of the Beresaad. He is Qunari." That got the woman's attention as she paled at that. "He's on our side no worries." Sten grunted as the young noble gestured to the man beside him; "This is Alistair, a Gray Warden and former Templar."

"Mother," the said former Templar nodded; "Everything kind of just went to hell in a blink didn't it?" He weakly jested.

"In more ways than one young man." Mallol sighed as they came to a table with chairs. She gestured all to sit as she did the same rubbing her brow. Loke sat beside her whimpering lightly. "And I have more dreadful news."

"I figured..." Marcus grunted as he and Alistair sat, Sten remained standing.

It took a long moment for the revered mother to gather herself as well as to rein her own anger as she looked to Marcus; "The Couslands have been stripped of their titles and nobility. Labelled as traitors of the crown by Loghain and Rendon."

Time had seemed to freeze as Marcus had become still as a statue... "W-What..." He barely whispered.

"Rendon Howe;" Even Mallol could not bit back the growl in her voice. "Said he 'discovered' documents in which your father pledged loyalty to Empress Celine and Orlais. Giving them vital areas to which the empire could bring a second invasion to reclaim what was lost to them..."

Though Sten's expression remained as stony as ever, Alistair's shock was evident, he looked at his fellow warrior with concern. In the short time they've known each other, Alistair came to realize Marcus was a man of focus and dedication, someone who always remained level headed even in the thick of battle, and could lead their party with a sound mind.

Now? Now the man looked so shaken, so utterly confused and stunned. It felt wrong for Alistair to see him like this.

"A-And the court... believed him?"

"Loghain did, and that was enough" She said with a remorseful tone.

Marcus joined his hands, resting his elbows on his knees, trying to reign in the growing storm of emotions inside him, the metallic gauntlets clicking as they tightly shook.

After a few seconds, he spoke once more, "And what is to be of our lands?"

The Mother really felt she shouldn't say anything more, but she could not hold this from Marcus, even if it drove the dagger deeper into the wound. "...They've been given to Howe, who was granted the title of Teyrn"

The young man's shaking stopped, the piling anger in his eyes dulled, almost like he had completely frozen. He didn't seem to react to the world around him, not even when his Warden friend placed a hand on his shoulder, muttering words of sympathy.

For a small eternity, he remained silent. And when he finally spoke, his voice had lost all luster, there was none of the young man's natural charm and intelligence. Only a voice as cold as the grave.

"Thank you for your help, Mother Mallol" He said the words clipped and emotionless, like he was quoting from a book. "We have a large task ahead of us, so it's unlikely we'll see each other for a while" He nodded courteously at her, "Maker be with you"

With that, he quickly left, his hound trailing behind him with a worried whine. "Marcus!" The Warden swiftly went after him, muttering apologies and thanks to the Mother as he left as well. The Qunari didn't even acknowledge her at all and just followed.

The Mother wanted to say 'Maker be with you as well', but she knew her words wouldn't reach him. All she could do now was pray for them, not that it would mean much for the Cousland family, not after everything that's happened.

Lately she'd be wondering just how much did her prayers mattered to the Maker.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Marcus felt like he couldn't breathe as he exited the Chantry. His chest heaved, heart pounded so loud he couldn't hear the people roaming the market. His were unfocused, staring at nowhere while his mind bombarded him with images of the past.

 _There stood a young boy who sat beside his father as was introduced to his father's friend._

The young man shook. Gashing his teeth as emotions swirled like a whirlwind inside him.

 _Both his father and Rendon laughed finding the boy riding his mabari like a pony while being chased by Nan._

Tears rimmed his eyes, not hearing or seeing Alistair and Sten at his side along with Loke who whimpered.

 _The boy beamed as he moved the wooden dagger he held in the manner uncle Rendon showed him._

Marcus almost staggered forward as the past flooded his mind and soon the massacre of weeks ago bleed into them. Oriana, Aldous, Nan, Landra, Dairren... His father... He could see their lifeless bodies so vividly as they were right before him. He wanted to scream, roar to the heavens and at the Maker. But everything soon came clear to him as he saw someone walking through the market.

There he was... The man whom his father had called brother, who had broken bread with them over many a feast.

The man whose soldiers marched through Highever, slaughtering his people, his friends and family.

The man who dared sully his proud family name for his own gain, and taken the lands that rightfully belonged to them.

The man who killed his father, his sister-in-law, his old caretaker, and many loyal servants and friends.

Howe wandered through the market, wearing on his shoulders a purple cloak with golden embroidery, parading around as if the world belonged to him. Showing his 'prestige' with ostentatious displays of wealth as he bought the most expensive items he could find. No doubt with coin taken directly from Highever's coffers...

Marcus didn't even realize he was moving until his hand went to his sword, but he didn't care. There was no Blight, no war, nothing that would stop him from claiming his vengeance right here.

And he would have. Had Alistair's arms not pulled him away, aided by the much stronger grip of Sten's own limbs. They dragged him away forcefully, taking him to a remote alleyway discretely. The Qunari shoved him against the wall, keeping him pinned in case he would try anything. While Alistair carefully looked over the street to make sure nobody had saw them.

"What was that?!" The Warden seethed angrily. "You nearly took out your sword in public!"

Marcus didn't even return his gaze.

"Maker's sake, Marcus..." Alistair rubbed his eyes, "I know this is a hard time for you, but what happened? You looked like you were about to kill someone"

"He's right there..."

Alistair cocked a brow as looked back to the crowd. "The noble with the guards?" He peered back to Marcus who nodded but kept his gaze on Howe; "The only thing you'll receive from killing him now is the headsman's ax. Now is not the time-"

"And when will be the time Alistair?" The former noble glared back; "When? Long enough for that bastard to convince every person in Ferelden my family were traitors!"

"You're not thinking rationally." This time Sten interjected with a steely tone; "Your emotions are clouding your judgement."

Marcus only glared up at the Qunari; "So says the man who butchered a family in a fit of rage."

"Hey!" Alistair shouted getting a few glances from the people but quickly ignored; "I may not understand the Qun, or the Qunari., or even Sten for that matter. But he knows he's done wrong and wants atonement for it." He lightly growled as Marcus looked back towards Howe's direction; "You're not even listening are you?"

"Should I be?"

"You have your mother, nephew, lover and her daughter waiting for you. What good would you be for them if dying now?!"

"I... I just can't stand it!" Marcus hissed out in desperation. "I see him here, smiling like that... and all I can see is my father, dead on the ground" He was trembling in barely contained rage. "And all I want to do right now is bury my blade in his treacherous heart..."

Alistair's gaze softened, "I can't even begin to understand what you're going through, Marcus" He softly said. "You deserve your vengeance, but right now you know you can't enact it, otherwise we will lose everything we've been fighting for, and your family" He shook his head, "They'll never get their justice"

The young noble knew; he knew that very well.

But the sight of Howe along was enough to inspire a rage he never thought himself possible of.

He had nearly ruined everything, just to satiate his revenge.

And it hurt, knowing that Howe was out there, basking in the power Loghain had given him, while he could nothing about it.

The only comfort he took was knowing that justice would eventually come, but even then it was a poor consolation. He felt ashamed he couldn't avenge his family right there when they had the chance. That they lost Highever, everything they owned, to that serpent. Every second Howe still draw breath pained him greatly.

Marcus let his legs give in, his cloaked back scrapping against the wall as he fell. He placed a hand against his face as a chocked sob escaped his lips, the weight of failure crashing down on him.

Surprisingly it was Sten who spoke next; "Focus on what we must do. Stopping the Blight. Justice will come for that man at the right opportunity."

A tearful Marcus looked up the stone faced man who stared back with his usual indifference. Turning back to Alistair the former Templar gave a sympathetic nod with a whimper coming from Loke. The former noble closed his eyes as he rested the back of his head to the building. His tears refused to cease despite rubbing his eyes. "Everything feels... so wrong."

"I agree on that." Alistair murmured with a groan.

"Sten, I-"

"Your words were out of anger, nothing needs to be said."

Marcus gave a nod while Alistair thought for a moment; "Think this is one of the rare times you spoke so much." He peered to their Qunari comrade who grunted.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Theron could only stare as he walked beside Gin and Neria with Bran as they entered the alienage. Pol had told the Sabrae Clan what it was like. They had heard a few stories of these places. But to actually see it with his own eyes. Clothes that might as well been rags, homes so rotten they should be condemned... Desperation, hopelessness. These were the Elvhen of the city?

A shudder escaped Neria as she gripped her staff; "Nothing's changed."

"Doubt it ever will." Gin retorted as he looked to their Dalish cousin. "Your thoughts? Still think the Dalish have it worse? At least you have weapons. We're not even allowed to have any to defend ourselves or they purge us."

"Gin!" Neria chided with a stern gaze.

Theron spoke not a word as he only stared the alienage. "...Ir abelas." Was all the warrior could utter.

The roguish elf was surprised by the words but soon ran his hand through hair; "So am I..."

"Gin?!" A female voice garnered their attention as they turned to the sight of Shianni a few feet away. Her eyes wide as she stared at her cousin/lover. Miara did say someone with sharp eyes and mind could spot them quickly.

Seeing his lover once more brought a calm to Gin, as it were a spell; "Hey Shianni." The redheaded elf nearly flew over to them as she embraced her cousin while lightly smacking his chest.

"You stupid jerk..." She remarked in a muffled voice with her face buried in his chest; "W-We thought-"

"I know..." He simply hugged his cousin back as her body shook from grief and relief.

Neria only stared, shock etched on her face as old memories came to her. "Shianni..?" Was that really her?

Said elven redhead detached from Gin giving a cocked brow "Hi?" The red headed elf replied with a bit of uncertainty. "I'm sorry, do we know each other?"

"It's me" The mage said, placing a hand on her chest. "Neria"

Eyes grew wide in recognition, and Neria found two arms latching themselves around her. "Oh Maker, it's you!" She pulled away, holding her shoulders while staying literally at arm's length. "But, what are you doing her. You were taken to the Circle" Shianni said the last part in a hushed whisper.

Gin's reply was equally as quiet. "She's a Warden" He explained, much to her surprise. "And this is our companion, Theron Mahariel, he's one too" He waved his hand at the cloaked dalish who choose to keep his distance from this personal reunion.

"Andaran atish'an" The darker skinned elf said with a tip of his head.

"An-Andaran atish'an" Shianni replied in a more broken pronunciation, trying to recall the lessons on elven language the elder had given to them since children. She turned her gaze to Gin once more, "I'm happy to see you, but, what's going on? We heard terrible things about Ostagar..." Thinking that she had lost Gin like that, merciful Andraste she was devastated, and her uncle- "Your father!" She blurted out, "Oh you have to see your father, uncle Cyrion will be so relieved to see you're okay" She turned to the elven mage with a wide smile, "And you Neria, your father still lives in the same place, oh you have no idea how happy he'll be"

She had a few recollections about her old childhood home, run down, like nearly every building in the alienage. What she remembered the most about it was that it was filled with many, many shoes, as was normal for the home of a shoe cobbler.

"That is a big dog." Shianni's voice got Neria out of her thoughts.

"He's mine. Saved him in Ostagar, I call him Bran, he stays with me now." Neria smiled as she petted her hound. Oh her heart wouldn't stop pounding as she patted her chest. She squeaked feeling a hand on her shoulder she peered over to see Theron now at her side.

"Go to your father." His voice soft as his words were gentle. So much so it surprised her but she soon nodded as jogged into the alienage with Bran close. "I envy you both; I lost both my parents when I was a babe."

"You still had your clan." Gin reasoned.

"...True..." Theron's voice was solemn as he soon strolled into the alienage, leaving Gin and Shianni alone. "I'll go speak to your elder, you should meet with the rest of your family.

Seeing no other around the elven redhead was quick to embrace her lips of her lover who returned it with equal warmth. After what felt like eternity they parted, both needing air. "I was so afraid..." Shianni shuddered holding back a few tears. "What happened?"

"Better to tell you when we see my father and Soris"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Neria glanced at the many elves roaming about with their daily lives. Absently her mind recalls herself as a child playing happily. What would have life been like had her magic never manifested? She shook the thought away as walked about the houses. Or least what they called houses for the alienage. By the Maker they looked worse than she remembered. But she soon froze at one house. A small wooden sign was above the door with the carving of a shoe and hammer... Kailu's shop. Neria held her staff close as her heart pounded.

 _"Now remember, what is the most important part of a shoe?"_ Her father's voice rang in her mind as she remembered sitting down during one of his works.

 _"The insole?"_ A little elven girl remarked back with a smile.

 _"Very good! What's the point of a shoe if your foot is not comfortable."_

Neria felt tears forming; she thought she had forgotten that memory... Or did she repress it after... She shook her head quickly. Bran let out a small whimper. "I know, I need to be brave." She slowly knocked on the door.

"The door is open!" That same smooth voice she recalled now spoke up. Aged a bit though.

Her father was just behind that door. Willing up the courage she opened the door. The deep smell of leather greeted her nose as shoes and boots were on tables or the wooden floor. A smell she had nearly forgotten as she and Bran walked in. "If you're here for a pick up or bringing a pair for work write a note on that table."

Time stood still for Neria, his back was turned sitting at a table hunched forward working. He worse a simple shirt and pants, his short hair was a lot greyer now. "Well, are going stand there or speak?" Kailu spoke again while he worked.

"I-I'm sorry..." Neria could barely talk as all she wanted to do was run over and hug him.

"What for?" He gruffly asked.

He... didn't recognize her. Of course he didn't, she hadn't seen him since she was a child. He had no idea what she looked like now, what she sounded like. She didn't know what to say, how do you suddenly tell someone you're the child they haven't seen in years?

Her lips pursed. "I was just... passing by"

"'Passing by?'" The man repeated incredulously, "What, you just wanted to see a shoe cobbler work?"

"I'm sorry-"

"Stop apologizing girl" He interrupted, shaking his head. "Andraste, didn't your parents teach you to have some spine?"

"...I haven't seen my parents in a long while" She admitted, that much was true.

The man stopped his work for a moment, "Ah... I'm sorry lassie. I'm getting into my years and, well" He sighed, rubbing the tip of a shoe to add a bit of luster. Though with elven shoes, 'luster' usually meant just one less layer of dirt. Their shoes were hand me downs for generations usually. "I don't exactly deal well with people"

Neria took a small seat on the other side of the room, briefly wondering if that stool had always been there. "My father's a cobbler too"

Kailu made a sound of understanding. "So, you were feeling nostalgic then?"

"You could say that" The mage muttered. "I'm... dealing with all sorts of issues lately, thought something nostalgic would give be a bit more strength"

"Hmph, don't know if you'd find inspiration here lass" Kailu said, his voice growing heavy. "Maker knows I don't find much myself. The Alienage... it's a struggle to live here"

"I haven't lived in one for years" She said, "I think it got it better than most in the end, but still, where I lived had its own challenges"

"Really?" He muttered, curious. "Can't tell if you were lucky or not, many people would wish to escape this place"

She frowned slightly, "Why are you unsure?"

"Sometimes" He paused, sighing. "Sometimes people don't have much of a choice" He kept on working on the shoe in his hand. "Got a little girl myself, well, she should be a young woman now... she got taken to the Circle of Magi when they found out she could do magic"

Neria remained silent.

"Haven't seen her in years" He lamented, his voice growing weary. "You know... maybe instead of keeping an old man company, you should be visiting your family. Don't know which Alienage you grew up in, don't know if you still have any family left but... they can help you with your problems much better than a stranger like myself"

For a moment, neither one said anything.

"...I grew up in this Alienage" The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them. "My dad... I don't remember much of him, but I always look back at him fondly"

Kailu stopped his work.

"Then one day, I found I... I could do things other children couldn't" She muttered, a chocked breath escaping her lips. "The Templars came and... took me away from him"

The shoe cobbler slowly set down his tools.

Kailu slowly turned, his face had a lot more wrinkles, but their skin tone matched along with their eyes. His lips parted as he felt a shudder escape his lips; "C-could you come closer lass? My sight is not what is was..."

Taking a quick look to Mabari and made sure he stayed put Bran laid down as Neria slowly got to her feet. Her step were soft as slowly drew closer. Kailu's heart beat grew quicker as the slight blurry figure came forward. Slowly the figure became more and more clear as Neria soon knelt down to her seated father. Her lower lip lightly shook as her tears threaten to release right then.

Kailu took a long hard look at the young girl's face. He took in every inch and soon locked with her eyes. His hands shook but soon held her cheeks. Tears fell from his eyes; "My Neria?" He shuddered out in a hoarse tone. Almost afraid to hope that this girl was indeed her...

"I'm home..." She shuddered out as her tears soon ran fully as she and her father embraced. Kailu only cried out as he wrapped his arms around his daughter. Something he had thought he'd never do again once the Templars took her and beat him.

"You're home."

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Gin barely had time to get a word in as Shianni brought him home and his father enveloped him into a hug. Nor could he hide a few tears hugging his father back, thankfully he even was given this chance. This was the scene greeted by Soris as he entered into the house. The young man nearly tripped as his cousin stood back home.

"You had us scared to death you bastard." Soris weakly grin with some tears as he hugged his cousin and friend.

"Sorry about that."

"When we heard the news we feared the worst" Cyrion said, taking a seat at the end of the table. Gin made himself comfortable by leaning back on the chair next to his father, Shianni serving them a few mugs of water. "And now the teyrn is proclaiming Wardens were conspiring with Orlais to kill the king. Madness"

"Shem lords" Gin shrugged, running a hand over his shaggy hair.

"But you're a Warden, a hero" His father firmly said, slamming his hand over the table. "What teyrn Loghain is done is an insult to your order"

"Speaking of, you said you had Warden Friends around yeah?" Soris asked, "Where are they?"

"Neria is visiting her father, yes dad, that Neria" Gin said before his father could question him. "Our other elven Warden is a dalish, his name is Theron. Told us he wanted to talk with elder Valendrian for a while, give us some time to talk"

"But there are others, right?" His cousin asked a touch nervously, no doubt frightened by the thought of being so few Wardens to fight the Blight.

"Some yeah, don't worry, they're around Denerim with our allies, helping us fight the Blight" He smiled softly, "That Miara woman, who came around that time? She's one of our companions"

"Oh" Soris' eyes widened considerably. "W-Well that's something"

"Her lover Serana and her two daughters are with us. They are... An eccentric bunch. Their son is at Redcliffe with some dwarves and Golem" No way was he going to speak about Odahviing and the rest of the Tamriel weirdness. He was still trying to figure half of it out. "Also a lay sister and Qunari are helping us."

Shianni stopped as she took a seat and went for a cup of water; "Huh?"

"Yeah, it's complicated... And really weird. But we have a good group. I think."

"I'm still at the golem part." Soris blinked a few times.

Gin sighed as he shook his head; "We will be meeting up with them after leaving here to meet Arl Eamon."

"Heard he is a good Shem." Shianni mentioned as she sipped her water. "With some luck he'll help clear this mess up and deal with the Blight."

Another sighed came to Gin as he took a cup of water; "Hopefully, long as nothing bad goes down like that werewolf thing with the Dalish."

"W-Werewolves?" His father looked like he might have fallen over had he not already been sitting.

"And that was just the start" Gin snorted, "Who knows what else we'll face on the way"

"Gin, please, you're going to give your old man heart problems" Cyrion softly pleaded to his son.

"Ah" Maker, he really didn't have people skills did he? "I didn't mean to worry you, but..."

"It's the reality of your situation" His father said understandingly. "I know your journey will be filled with danger, you can't blame a father for worrying" He reached over and tapped his son on the shoulder. "But you can be sure that I'm immensely proud of you"

His words touched Gin's heart, making it swell with joy. But a growing part of him couldn't help but feel ashamed. His father had always felt such unending pride on him, but what he had done to deserve it? He had lied constantly to him. Gin had never done any 'honest work' like his father; all he ever did was picking pockets and contraband per Slim Curly's instructions with the thieves' guild. Just proving to the Shems he was the 'thieving knife ear' they thought all elves were...

Gin couldn't bear it anymore. He didn't want his father to have this... idealized image of him; he wasn't the dutiful son he thought him as. And he was going to come clean about it now; he had his duties as a Warden that was something he could honestly take pride of.

"Dad" The shaggy haired elf began uneasily. "There is something I... must confess, it's... honestly not easy for me to do so. Because I never wanted to you to think badly of me..."

Before he could fully explain himself, Cyrion let out a long breath, his gaze softening. "Son... I've always known about you and Shianni"

Soris chocked on his water, Shianni looked like she had been turned into a statue, while Gin's mouth might as well be catching flies now.

"You two tried to keep it secret, but after enough time passed I managed to piece things together" Cyrion confessed, wringing his hands. "I... honestly didn't know how to react, how to even confront you two about this. Maker's sake, you're my brother's daughter Shianni..."

Said niece remained completely silent, her cheeks slowly matching her hair.

"I mean, it's not unheard of, but... certainly not the norm either" The older elf rubbed his neck. "I mean, I just hoped this would eventually... end. That's why I pushed you to get married, Gin"

Gin suddenly wished he was back in Ostagar, fighting hordes of Darkspawn.

"But maybe... maybe I shouldn't judge you harshly on this" Cyrion sighed, "Maker knows we elves don't have a lot of opportunities to be happy. And when the chance to find something that gives us comfort arrives... one should never let it go"

The Warden took a deep gulp, his eyes briefly meeting Shianni's. Soris was doing his best to avoid their gaze. "You... You're alright with it?"

"'Alright' is a strong word. 'Not upset' would perhaps be more fitting" His father awkwardly said, "I'm sorry son, this is all so very... uncomfortable for me"

"I think we can agree we're all VERY uncomfortable right now uncle," Soris cleared his throat. He looked to Shianni who had not moved; "When the hell did this happen?"

The redhead found the floor more interesting all of sudden, not able to look at anyone; "When we were fifteen or fourteen. It just... never stopped" She bowed her head in shame. "I'm... I'm in love with Gin..."

Cyrion grunted adjusting in his chair; "I'm not angry at either one of you. I'll say that now." He ran his hand over his face. "Are you happy with one another?" He looked to his son and Shianni.

"I am." Gin remarked quietly; "Right or wrong, I love Shianni with all my heart." The female redhead felt her heart swell at the deceleration.

"Uh..." The male redhead elf rubbed his neck; "I'm... still trying to process this. I mean, thinking about things... A lot is making more sense now." Soris paused; "How does anyone react finding out your cousins are in love with each other?"

"I think we're figuring that one out right now." Shianni murmured as she held her cup; "You don't hate me uncle Cyrion?"

"I could never hate you child. Any more than I could hate my own son...We're going to have to adjust to this, we all are. Slowly, I think..."

Gin wished he had some of Miara's brandy she got from Butler right now.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Theron was silent as he stared up at the vhenadahl. So much went through his head of the old stories of the elves that remained in human cities. Flat ears, not true elvhen. They were cowards who gave up being with their human masters...

But that was not what he was seeing now here in the Alienage.

These elves had no warriors among them, no weapons. They had been taken from them by the humans who declared they were never to bear arms. And the guard kept a close eye on them; no doubt waiting for an excuse to put the elves 'in their place' should they ever entertain the thought of uprising against them.

But what chances would the city elves even have? The humans outnumbered them greatly. Without mentioning the previous issue of their lack of gear. Even the dalish were better armed than them, and most of the time they couldn't outfit all their warriors with war-worthy weapons and armor. If any city elf wanted to fight the humans, they would find themselves wearing poor quality cloth and leather against iron and steel.

The Dalish knew to never give up, for their spirits could endure as their ancestors had for so long. But the elves of the cities, their spirits had been broken too long ago.

Either endure the injustices of human kind in their cities, or join the struggles of the dalish in the freedom of the wilderness. To Theron, living free yet struggling were better than this slow death. And even though he'd like for all elves of Thedas to open their eyes and choose to live with pride, it would only be inviting an inevitable conflict with the shemlen, one they wouldn't be ready for. Not by a long shot.

"I was wondering why people weren't taking notice of you?" His mental musing was stopped as an elderly voice spoke behind him. "I thought perhaps you were a ghost then." Theron turned to see an elder elven man peer back at him. Valendrian gave a warm grin; "But you are merely one of our free brothers of Dalish. Andaran atish'an, I am Elder Valendrian."

"Andaran atish'an Elder, I am Theron Mahariel of the Sabrae Clan." He adjusted his hood; "Pol joined us here last year."

At that the old elf showed recognition; "So it was your clan he joined. Is he well?"

"Yes, he has adjusted with time." He paused; "Apologizes for the garments, but with my current company we must be inconspicuous."

"What brings you here, young one?"

"Circumstances beyond my control" The dalish admitted, "But… I believe I can take this opportunity to learn" He walked closer to the elder. "About our people here in the city"

"They are seldom happy tales, my boy"

"Such is the case for the elvhen" Theron knew that all too well, "But even still, I must know"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Morrigan had a complicated relationship with cities. A part of her found them fascinating, filled with sights and sounds one seldom would wind in the wilds. The way these simple minded folk would interact was also very intriguing.

Another part of ther wanted to sneer at every corner. This 'civilized' folk knew nothing of struggle; they carried on their insignificant little lives, expecting things to be handed to them on a silver platter. They lived in a cage of their own making, shunning anything that was different, content with living with the dogmas their culture dictated for them. Miring in complacency and stagnation, and the result was only weakness.

Morrigan understood the hearts of men far better than they themselves did, her mother made sure of that. She knew answers to questions their philosophers had pondered for centuries, but were in truth too afraid, too narrow minded, and to ever accept. The pursuit of knowledge, of true power, did not allow anything else but a great mind willing to search through those places mortals were too afraid to tread.

So it came as a great source of confusion, to see a mage so knowledgeable and powerful as Sarya, to mingle about this city and smile like that. As though she couldn't see the very weakness Morrigan saw. It was paradox to the swamp witch, that someone could grasp the mysteries of the arcane like this, and yet find herself content with this obtuse city life.

"Have you tried these pastries, Morri?" The powerful and knowledgeable mage said with a mouthful of sweets, spitting a few pieces as she did so. "They're so good!"

Or perhaps it was the fact that Sarya Redoran appeared to be completely out of her mind. Living in her own little fantasy world, where apparently she thought it was okay to refer to the witch with such a moniker, regardless of how many times she protested.

"I can feel your teeth rotting from here" Morrigan deadpanned. "What are you even eating?"

"They're pastries filled with peanut butter and jelly!"

Morrigan ignored her current companion as she gazed about; "So how was it that you found the Mage Collective? From what I've heard they are a rather secretive group." Well they had to be given they were not sanctioned by the Chantry. So its members had to remain anonymous or face imprisonment or worse, be made Tranquil. "So how did a foreign elf manage to discover them?"

Sarya gulped down her pastry; "A lesson both my mothers' taught me; 'A secret can be found no matter where if you listen and look.' Doesn't matter where you find it or from whom. And I paid attention to everything I heard and saw when first coming here."

So she was attentive despite not acting like it. "And while here you heard of the Collective?"

"Brave bunch, smart too by how they do business. At least they're competent. Even you have to admit that." The hooded elf grinned before licking the icing off her lips.

"They show a modicum of intelligence." Morrigan begrudgingly admitted.

Sarya beamed as they walked around a corner to an alley; "So becoming their friends can help in the long run for us and them."

The alley, much a lot of alleys in Denerim, was dark, damp, and smelled of wet dog. But there was something here that Morrigan could feel, a hint of mana in the air. Sarya walked over a small crate tucked in a corner of the alley, behind a few large burlap sacks, and tapped her finger over it. A rune began shining open the crate, and this one opened itself like a lid.

"Found this the last time I was in Denerim, quickly realized it belonged to the Collective" Sarya helpfully informed as she went over the various letters that were found inside the hidden chest. "It's a dead drop, a place where people secretly leave packages and documents for other people in the know to pick up" She clicked her tongue as she threw some of the letters back inside. "Left them a letter a while back, hopefully they actually took it seriously..."

"If you addressed them as a foreign mage looking for them, I too would be suspicious"

"Ah! Here we are" She smiled brightly upon seeing a letter addressed to her. She opened it and began reading its content, "Miss Redoran, if your claims are true, then the Collective would be interested in meeting you. However, they are still outlandish tales, so we must still be precocious, ours is an organization hunted by the Templars and we are to ensure you do not represent a threat to us. If you're indeed a mage with skill, then you'll be able to dispel the enchantment we've placed upon this here letter, revealing our usual meeting hideout in Denerim. Sincerely, the Mages' Collective" She clicked her tongue. "Enchantment huh? Let's see..."

Morrigan drew close, watching with curiosity as Sarya waved her fingers over the letter. Arcane sigils and letters formed over the paper, before dimming down and highlighting a number select letters. The letters re-arranged upon the paper, forming a sentence.

"There we go" The dunmer in disguise smiled satisfied. "'Warehouse 5, near the docks, back alley on Vanedrin Street'" She gave the witch a bright grin. "Wanna meet mages unaffiliated with the Chantry?"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Leliana would admit she wasn't terribly fond of Denerim. Mostly due to certain... incidents that happened to her last time she was here. Things she didn't want to dwell on. But also because it made her miss Orlais all the more. It was hypocritical to call herself Ferelden when all she could think about was her old home, a home she no longer had any chance to return to... Not that there was anything waiting for her in Orlais.

The dour brown colors that littered Denerim served only to remind her of Orlais' vibrant architecture. The tall gleaming white houses with sky blue roofs. The golden decorations and lion heraldry that seemed to dot every nook and cranny, even the darkest of Val Royoux's alleyways.

It was hard to let go, Orlais had been her home, the land where she grew up. And after having been cast aside due to Marjolaine's machinations, she found herself adrift, homeless. The Lothering Chantry had given her a place to belong, one she had willingly abandoned, but this time she didn't feel lost. Not when she had such good company.

Sofie always made her feel at ease, that regardless of where they went, Leliana could look at her side and find the tall warrior woman standing there for her. It made her feel safe. And in this task of theirs, given to them by the Maker himself, she found herself with a greater purpose, one much more important than anything her life as a bard could have given her.

It wasn't just Sofie; most of their companions were wonderful people. Fighting at their side was a privilege, and enjoying their company a great pleasure.

"Do you always wear armor everywhere you go?" The rich voice of the Amell mage questioned the nord.

...Of course, that didn't mean some of them didn't test her patience. Morrigan with her outright rude attitude. And ugh... Brianna's barely concealed attempts at flirting with Sofie. The way she clinged to the taller woman's arm made Leliana's finger twitch for one of her daggers.

"It's an adventurer thing; you will be wearing armor 90% of the time when traveling"

"That's a shame, even with your stature and build I'd think you'd look lovely in dresses" Brianna smiled saucily, her blue eyes twinkling mischievously. "It's a shame to hide this body" She pressed a hand over Sofie's bicep, squeezing the hardened flesh of the bulging limb.

"Oh I've had to be in a few dresses from time to time. I don't hate it, but I like wearing pants." Sofie bemused with a grin.

A purring sound came from Brianna; "Wish I could have been there see that."

Leliana bit back a growl as the trio had taken a few requests from the chantry board. They were currently strolling through the inner part of Denerim for a chantry a request of a missing person by Sergeant Kylon of the guard no less. It wasn't so uncommon as the former bard had explained. Despite appearances Denerim held an abundance of criminal elements roaming the city. Many the city guards just could not handle. So Kylon was open for any help he could get, even if it meant sell swords.

That reminded the Nord of a few cities back home being just as bad, well horrible more like it. Between Windhelm, Riften, and Markarth thirty years ago she wasn't sure which one was the worse of the three. Well, justice came for that bastard Ulfric, and the Blackbrair and Silver-blood families reaped the rewards of their own misdeeds. Along with every corrupt guard that filled their coin purse with their gold.

Least the Riften guards can be thankful they didn't share the fate of those in Markarth along with Thonar Silver-blood. Gods, no one in Skyrim will ever forget that day.

No matter how structured or civilized a city was, there would always be that underlying criminal elements going around. Her mother had actually used her position as Guild master of the Thieves' Guild to put a lot of the crime in the major cities under control. She enforced on the tough Skyrim thieves to follow the doctrine of their peers in other provinces. Avoid bloodshed if possible, and take care of the poor.

It was one of the ways her elven mother sought atonement for her own misdeeds. And though there was that darker side of her she could never truly let go of, Miara had raised her and her siblings to follow a better path, to be better than her. Honestly, the same could be said about their mother Serana. Though their vampiric mother was less upfront about her lessons come to think of it.

The less going into grandmother Valerica's thoughts on 'morality' the better. Or even their other Grandmother (with a capital 'G') and her own unique perspective on the matter.

Hmm, now she was starting to understand why Miara was so insistent in her teachings. Morality was a fragile thing in their family...

"As I live and breathe, that you Lady Sofie?"

The nord and her companions tensed in alarm, worried that someone had managed to recognize one of them even with the cloak on. Sofie momentarily felt some relief when she saw who it was, the same auburn hair and thick stubble, the same awful splintmail. She had met that man before, back when she first arrived in Thedas with her family.

"I remember you" She said, "Thomas, from the Blackstone Irregulars?"

"Aye" The mercenary nodded, "We heard bad stuff from Ostagar, from the boys who came back at least..." He said mournfully before shaking his head. "At least you made it out alright"

"It got close" She waved a hand at the other two women with her. "These are my companions" She specifically did not use their names for safety reasons.

"Pleasure" He nodded, "The whole world's gone insane. They say the Wardens left the king to die, but our boys who survived tell a different story"

"Then I am glad some survived to know the truth." Sofie addressed with a nod.

"Aye, I've met a few Wardens, Commander Duncan included, honorable men and women. All of them, but the words coming from the hero of river Dane can sway many." Sofie picked up on the meaning of those words as she gave a nod; "What brings you out here?"

"Chantry board, you?"

"Same, but also doing more for the Irregulars. I may have something for you as well."

Sofie gave shrug; "I'm game if it helps with coin." She peered over to Leliana and Brianna; "I'm going to speak with Thomas for a minute."

"We understand, we'll stay here." Bri smiled as the Nord warrior and mercenary walked a bit away from them to speak privately. She felt a tap on her shoulder to glance at Leliana; "Yes?"

"May we have a word Brianna?"

"Something wrong?

"Not... precisely" The bard choose her words carefully. "I wanted discuss this 'attitude' you have with Sofie"

"You mean my blatant flirting?" The mage did not mince her words, she was very much aware of what she was doing. "It's a slow process, regretfully..." She sighed to herself a touch too dramatic.

"Right" Leliana's reply came with a clipped tone. "It's becoming a touch uncomfortable. The looks, the suggestive words, how you clearly don't respect her personal space-"

"I love feeling her muscles" The Amell smirked, "Hard as rocks aren't they?"

That they were, Leliana had to agree. "Yes..." She said rather dazed before shaking her head. "So, I wanted to ask you to please tone it down"

The mage gave the taller woman an unimpressed look, seizing her up and down as she pursed her lips. "Really. So is this uncomfortable for Sofie or... for you?" She asked, already knowing the answer. "What does it matter to you if I take Sofie to my bed?"

Feeling her eye twitch, Leliana realized a tactful approach would not work on her, so Leliana went straight to the point. "Let me make it clear. You are not going to bed Sofie, not now, not ever"

"Oh my" Brianna grinned, fiddling with a lock of her raven black hair. "I did not know you were this possessive, Leli"

"I'm not possessive" The redhead quickly replied, "Sofie's not a possession"

"And here I find you, marking your territory like a mabari"

At that Leliana faintly growled as she leaned forward, letting her height add to the intimidation as she glared; "I was a bard, girl. Would you like to know what we do to people?"

Once more Brianna was unimpressed as she only grinned back; "Honey I can make lightning." At that she lifted her hand with small arcs buzzing around her fingers. "You don't scare me."

Both ladies stared at one another, one with a challenging glare, the other a long and heated gaze. This was the scene Sofie returned to as she finished speaking with Thomas. "Something wrong?"

"Nothing." Both ladies chorused as she broke off from their respected stares.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

"You know I could have handled him." Miara bemused as she and Serana had left their dwarven friends to roam about Denerim for work.

Serana rolled her eyes; "And we both know you outclass him and would have made a mockery of him."

Not long after bidding farewell to Gorim, Bodahn, and Sandal they ran into an aged knight in full plate armor. A Ser Landry, a survivor of Ostagar who mistook the lovers as Wardens since they spent all their time with them. Neither could persuade the man nor make back him down since he firmly believed the Warden had abandoned the king to die. So he wanted to duel them both to avenge the king.

While the hidden Dunmer had no problems facing down the idiot, Serana was not in the mood and charmed him into returning home with hypnotism.

Regardless, they had their own job to do. Gin had confided in Miara he'd worked with a prominent member of the Ferelden Thieves' Guild, a man known as 'Slim Couldry'. Having information from the underground would be very useful for them in the long run, so it was better to enlist his services now. They did not want to bother the city elf now that he got the chance to meet with his family, and they wanted to get to know the kind of thieves around these parts on their own.

Couldry ran his own trading emporium and delivery service, one didn't have to travel far from the market place to find a moderately large building with the words 'Couldry's Cauldron' hanging from a sign shaped like a balance scale, a near universal sign for a trading office.

As they entered, they saw it was a typical trading business that dealt with all manner of goods. Ranging from weapons and apparel to even jewelry and potions. All of them neatly arranged in specific shelves and racks. Miara suspected they kept their less than legal items hidden away safely where the guards wouldn't find them.

At the end of the shop, behind a desk, was a large bellied (clearly his title was ironic) man with red hair and a slight stubble under his lip, looking over a ledger as he filled the numbers. Next to him was a very dark skinned elven woman, brown hair tied up in a knot, taking notes from whatever he was talking to her about.

Their presence was soon noticed, and the large man smiled jovially. "Ahh, new costumers. What I can help you with?"

Miara smiled, not in a friendly way, but rather it was a gesture she learnt over years of work with thieves. "Greetings, I am Miara Redoran, this is my beloved Serana Volkihar. We are interested in making business with you"

"Well, you will find no better prices than my shop"

"I actually was thinking of other... 'business avenues' I hear you dabble in"

She had to hand it to him, he kept his expression casual. He shrugged, "I'm afraid I do not know what you mean"

"You don't need to keep up the act, I'm a friend of Gin's" The dunmer in disguise leaned forward, keeping her smile. "And a fellow acquirer of rare goods"

Serana took note of the small bodily shift from the elven woman beside Slim. While the man himself remained unfazed, getting a long look at both ladies; "Ah I recognize you both. The foreigners from this far off land called Tamriel. The alienage has never been so chatty when you came to visit them Lady Redoran."

"I was there." The elven woman remarked; "Still hard to believe our people have their own kingdoms and rule themselves and not under the Shems."

Slim gave a nod; "It is hard to believe isn't it Dirana. That not all our people are broken as we are."

That garnered both ladies attention with Miara's brow cocked; "Your people?" She took a longer look at the man before he took notice of the detail of his ear. And having a very elven point to them. "You're a Mer."

"Mer... Ah yes, that's what the elves call themselves in Tamriel correct?" Dirana nodded to Slim's question. "Indeed, I am elf though half as many would like to remind me." The man got up from his chair. "I grew up in the alienage with my mother and her family. Dirana here is my cousin."

"You came far to earn this place." Miara quipped.

"Wasn't easy by any means. Being a half-breed bastard many judge you on that alone. Took many years to get where I am. Was even able to get my family good work here." Slim walked around his desk; "Yet you say Gin confided to you that I am may do less than reputable work?"

"When Gin heard me talking about doing the same sort of work myself, he thought he could trust me with this" She said, resting her hands on her hips.

Slim's eyes slightly widened in realization. "Ahhhh a fellow thief then. Independent or guild? If Tamriel has guilds"

"Skyrim's Thieves Guild, the northernmost land of Tamriel" Miara stated, keeping a proud smirk on her lips. "Guild master for nearly a decade"

"Ahh! A woman intimately familiar with the business then" He joined his hands, his voice adopting a greater jovial tone. "You had my curiosity, now you have my attention. Please, come with me to my office" He motioned for them to follow him to the room at the back. "Dirana, please watch over the shop in the meantime"

"Of course" The dark skinned elven woman replied. And Serana noticed her stealthily hiding a dagger inside her dress. Impressive, she hadn't seen her take it out before.

He led them through a door that lead to a modest sized office, where inside laid a large desk with various stacks of papers and letters over it. A few shelves with books on various subjects, and finally a three comfy looking chairs with red cushions, one behind the desk and the other two in front of it.

"Now" Couldry took his seat, waving at them to do so as well. Once they did, he joined his hands together. "From one professional to another, how may I help you?"

"Loghain has declared our companions traitors" Miara said, her voice firm to emphasize the severity of the situation. "The Wardens, which includes Gin" If Couldry liked the young city elf, then he would be more inclined to help them.

"Indeed, and it's only a matter of time before word reaches his ears that some Wardens survived" Slim said, "He'll send people after them"

"We need to know what he plans to do. For that we need information" Miara said, leaning back in the chair with one leg crossed over the other. "I'm willing to pay for you to let us your guild's chain of contacts. Share what you find about Loghain"

"I'm afraid it's much more serious than that" Couldry said, his voice turning grim. "The country is divided after the Landsmeet; it's only a matter of time before infighting truly starts. That'll make things even more difficult for my people, more dangerous. If I'm taking a risk for you I expect something in return"

"We have money" Serana brought up. "Lots of it"

"Your coin is foreign, and it can traced. We could smelt it down and reforge it yes, but that has its own issues. Nobody is dumb enough to steal a royal seal for crafting sovereigns that involves the entire guard on a warpath to find them. We risk too much attention that way"

Pragmatic and smart, he was a good guild master. "What about precious gems?" The hidden dunmer asked.

"Hmm, tempting. But I actually was thinking on something more practical" He said, "We get you information; you do a few jobs for us in return"

The dunmer saw where this was going and soon smile; "Do some jobs, prove ourselves and earn your trust."

"And we both earn coin along the way. Maybe enough on your end so not to use your nation's coin. And you earn information that helps you and the wardens." Slim paused; "I honestly have many doubts that the Wardens betrayed the king. But given this comes from Loghain who is a national hero, many are swayed by his words alone."

Miara and Serana had seen that before... And as far as the Dragonborn was concerned this won't be like Skyrim if she can help it. "So what jobs do you have currently?"

Slim's eyes rose; "Eager for work?"

"Eager to prove myself an asset for you and your guild. And once things settled, maybe have talks with my guild."

"I like the sound of that." Slim grinned as he looked over several papers and pushed them forward on his desk; "Once done I have a contact at the Pearl or come back here." Opening a drawer he placed a small ornate gemstone; "The contact will know you're working for me with that."

Serana rolled her eyes seeing the smile on her lover's lips as she took the papers and small gemstone. Well, this will keep them busy for a bit.

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"While I imagine the color of my skin is particularly intriguing to you, good people. This is not among the subjects I wanted to discuss"

"Ah, our apologies. It's simply intriguing to know there is actually such variety of elven kind elsewhere in the world"

Morrigan did not share that sentiment at the moment, "I do believe your mothers would not approve of you revealing your true form to people, again"

"I wouldn't take you for one to listen to mothers" The now revealed dunmer replied flippantly.

Having followed the letter's instructions, they quickly found the abandoned warehouse that was protected by magical wards, which were easy for Sarya to detect. After knocking on the supposedly empty building, they were received a group of robed mages who carefully observed them, keeping their staves up and their spells prepared in case they would try anything.

Sarya took it in stride, revealing herself to be the same person who had written to them weeks ago... along with dropping the illusion that masked her skin and eye color.

There were questions, many questions, of course. Which the Dunmer was all too happy to answer.

"Ahh you paint an ideal picture, my lady" The man in charge of Denerim's Collective, a swarthy skinned bald man by the name of Marellion, said dreamily. "Magic academies seen as prestigious institutions, minimal government oversight, and no religious dogma imposed on them. And the ability to go wherever you want as a free individual... the only thing that trumps all that is your claim that magic is something innate within ALL the peoples of Tamriel. Which, I find it hard to believe"

"Maybe one day you'll see what the Tamrielic magical scenery is with your own eyes" She smiled at the gathered mages of the Collective. "I was by chance I came upon the knowledge of your society's existence. Would you mind sharing with me what it is the Collective does?"

"We want to work as mages without the Chantry oversight" Marellion said, crossing his arms. "The Chantry hoards mages into their Circles, and few times do they even allow them to work for the populace. Sadly, the only time that happens is when there are plagues, or the Circles are drafted into war"

Morrigan rolled her eyes, pathetic.

"But that is such a waste of potential, the practical uses magic has. The Chantry could be setting up clinics with mage healers; they just need to station a few Templars. But they do not even entertain the thought" He spoke passionately, he really believed in what he was talking about. "So the Collective works by dealing with matters the Chantry won't allow the Circles to do. That includes proper investigation of Maleficar; we know the difference between a mage who just wants to live in peace and a dangerous one who dabbles in dark arts. At times we help some mages evade the Circle, so long as it doesn't compromise our organization"

"Your activities also include selling magical items through a dark market?" Sarya asked with a raised brow.

"Um, well" He looked embarrassed. "We need to make money somehow. The smuggling of items is big part of our business."

"What about long term goals, don't you want to remove the inane Chantry oversight?"

"If only it were so simple" Marellion sighed, "Unfortunate, only the Fraternities can deal with the Circle politics. We are an underground group made up of apostates and members inside the Circles, our clients and operations are secret, according to Chantry law, we are criminals. Not unlike the Thieves' Guild. So we try to maintain a low profile and not ruffle the hornet's nest"

These people walked a very fine line, and they were all brave to even try such things given the Chantry's hold over Thedas.

A female mage sighed as she leaned against the wall; "And then there is populace, many deeply fear magic in large part because of the Chantry." She held her staff close; "I've seen what villagers can do when driven to hysterics." She shuddered.

"Sadly the masses are like idle sheep." Morrigan quipped; "Most do not have their own coherent thought save what is told to them."

"Your friend is not wrong." Marellion expressed before looking to the Telvanni mage; "Would there be a way to get in contact with your mage guilds in Tamriel?"

Sarya tapped her chin; "I think stopping the Darkspawn and the budding civil war in Ferelden should take priority."

There came grunt from an elven mage with fair skin and short brunette hair; "Not sure what we can do for either of those. At least not openly if we don't want Chantry after us."

"Then what can I do to help?" Sarya beamed; "have to build up trust between us right?"

"That would be beneficial lass," An elderly man spoke with a non-Ferelden accent.

"Now!" With a skip in her step, she went over to one of the walls and began tracing her finger over a support beam. Blue marks that faintly glowed with arcane energy forming from where her finger trailed. "I'll laid down a Mark and Recall rune here, that'll allow me to come over whenever"

The mages shared a confused look amongst themselves. "Mark and Recall?" The collective elven mage asked.

"Basically it allows me to teleport from one place to another"

Even Morrigan had to do a stupefied double take at her statement.

"What?!" The female mage from before blurted out. "T-Teleport?! But that's impossible! You can't just transfer your own mass and matter over distances! That would require you to split your body to the smallest substances and transfer it while still somehow keeping your mind together! The other alternative is opening a rift through space, but alone is just-!"

"Look, I can teleport. Don't argue with the mage whose lands have cultivated magic for thousands of years, you will lose. Badly"

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Miara and Serana were first to arrive at The Pearl after doing all the work for Slim and returning to his shop. And discovered it was more than just simple homey tavern. If the array of beautiful men and woman (Be they human, Elf, or dwarf) roaming about in revealing garments gave it away. Smart and clever having a Brothel at the docks, many sailors coming in after long days at sea. And eager to pay coin to 'relieve' all their pent up stress.

And the proprietor kept her establishment at a refined level. Both were greeted by Madam Sanga at the door, her beauty only matched by her sharp mind as they spoke before entering.

"She acts uncaring but is anything but." Miara remarked as she and her lover sat at the bar. "Reminds me of that Brothel in Blacklight."

Serana snorted; "Less stingy compared to that weirdo in Morrowind at least."

The dunmer looked over the selection of drinks they had on the shelf The Ferelden beer had NOT left a good impression on her, so maybe their mead would be better perhaps...

"Don't bother with the local stuff" A rich accented voice from the edge of the bar said, "Try antivan whiskey, by the far the best they have here"

Miara's fake blue eyes shifted to the side and- Oh sweet Dibella's heaving bosom. Sitting there was a woman whose looks just demanded attention. Dark tanned skin without blemish, long curly dark locks wrapped under a blue bandana. She wore plenty of jewelry, including a large piece around her neck and two large earrings hanging from her lobes, with one piercing on her lower lip. Her clothing left little to the imagination. Her legs (gods those long toned legs...) covered in leather boots so high they reached her lower thighs, she wore no pants, and the only things covering her underwear was blue sash tied to her waist, and the flap of a sleeveless white shirt that showed her very generous and prominent cleavage.

"Well, hello there~" A wide smile formed on Miara's lips, drinking the sight of the woman before her like fine wine. "Who might you be, my dear?"

"Isabela" She said with a faint flourish of her hand, "Captain Isabela of the Siren's Call, at your service" She added with a wink.

By her attire Miara could tell the woman was no sailor from any official navy, much less a trader. No, it was clear this woman was a privateer, perhaps a pirate. Miara knew those sea dogs came in all manner of flavors, from the rogue and daring to the true scum who were no better than bandits of the seas. She wondered how Isabela tasted like then.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Isabela" The dunmer turned up the charm, making sure to add an extra husky tone to her voice. "I am Miara Redoran, and I sail from lands you've never heard of"

"I consider myself a well-traveled sailor." She said, her voice carrying a sense of smugness to it. "There aren't any seas I have not sailed through"

Now it was Miara's turn to smile smugly. "I come from Tamriel"

"...That's new" The pirate said, her eyes shining with interest

A pair of hands clasped Miara's shoulders as Serana leaned herself beside her lover; "You have no idea," The vampire purred with a seductive smile. Clearly she liked what see saw as much as Miara; "Serana Volkihar, and we'd loved to tell you anything you like to know." Miara shivered hearing that deep husky change to her lover's voice.

Now Isabela's eye gleamed as her smile not only returned but grew almost hungry; "Oh I would love to learn your culture and ways. And would just enjoy showing both you ladies Rivain hospitality." she purred back

"We would so love that," the lovers' chorused.

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"When you said tavern..." Neria slowly spoke as her cheeks grew more and more scarlet; "This wasn't what I was expecting." Her eyes grew several sizes as a half-naked and very muscular man walked passed her.

"It's a tavern that happens to also be a brothel." The former noble cleared his throat "Madam Sanga is a nice person. So long as you don't cause a fuss or hurt her employees."

Sofie cocked her head with a teasing grin; "You sound familiar with 'Madam Sanga'."

"I was wilder when younger and before meeting Iona. That's all I'm saying."

The group had slowly met up with one another as they entered the docks and made their way towards the Pearl. For the more pure among them (Alistair and Neria), they blushed heavily at the people roaming around the establishment. Brianna however could not stop smiling; "Can we stay for the night?"

"Bri!" Her elven friend hissed back. Both Bran and Loke sniffed around as they roamed around the tavern/brothel.

"If you have the coin" Gin merely replied, unperturbed by the nature of the establishment.

"Oh right, I have to pay for sex here" The human mage was honestly considering her options. "I mean, it's not exactly how I imagined the first time I'd sleep with someone outside the Circle. Wanted to try my skills at seducing" She gave a discrete look to Sofie's way. Leliana caught it, and had to suppress a growl.

"First times are supposed to be 'special', people say" The city elf said, doing air quotations.

"I said 'outside the Circle', not 'first time ever'" Her smile grew devious. "Doing it hiding from Templars, now that's a rush"

"Hmmmmm..." Neria let out a pitiful sound as she tightened her hood around her ears, not really wanting to know more about her friend's sex life. It was bad enough she had shared with her EVERY DETAIL of her first experience with a man before... and somehow, it was even worse when she also shared the details of her first time with a woman...

"Speaking of deviancy and debauchery" The swamp witch dryly quipped, "Where are Miara and Serana, shouldn't they be waiting for us right now"

Sofie's tone actually managed to sound even more deadpanning than Morrigan's. "Most likely rented a room..."

"They're here" Sarya mumbled unenthusiastically. "I can feel them... with company..."

"Seriously?" Alistair and Neria bemoaned while Sten only grunted with his arms crossed.

Marcus walked up to the bar and greeted the keep who nodded to him; "Did two ladies, one elf and very tall Avvar come here?"

"Aye, they went with Captain Isabela for a spell."

Sarya walked over; "Is this Isabela beautiful?"

"Oh sweet Maker is she ever..."

"We're going to be here for a while." Sofie grunted.

That made Neria squawked as she came over to the Nord woman. "B-But your parents are..."

"You have heard of open relationships haven't you?" Sofie cocked a brow as the elf's cheeks grew red once more. That left a few speechless as she rolled her eyes; "They believe in having fun."

Sarya took over as she droned "And share their bed with anyone that strikes their fancy once in a while. And can be more than just... one" She couldn't stop a giggle at the sight of Neria and Alistair's faces turning bright red.

"Well that must have made for an interesting upbringing" Marcus idly commented as he paid for a couple of tables, both at the edge of the bar, away from any possible prying eyes and ears. He didn't notice a brown haired man with two long braids and simple clothes, sitting at the end of the bar, looking their way.

As they made themselves comfortable, with Sten choosing to stand up with his back against the wall, Morrigan took a swig of her mug, making a face as clearly the swill did not suit her tastes. "I cannot believe your mothers are that... open"

"Here I thought you'd understand" Sarya commented, stealthily casting a spell on her own mug to make it taste better.

"Why would I?"

"Well, you being a wildling and all-"

"-am supposed to embrace the idea of people just doing whatever they want when already they have a lover?" Morrigan sneered, "Please"

"Huh, who would have thought" Alistair drawled, "The Witch believes in committed relationships"

"It's more along the lines that I don't like other people playing with my own toys"

"Ah, now that's more in line with what I was expecting from you"

Bringing their conversation to order, Marcus leaned forward of his seat. "So, I trust your personal affairs are in order?"

"I... met my dad" Neria smiled ever so softly, Brianna placed a hand upon hers, letting her know she was happy for her. "It's so very strange, knowing he's here and..." She sighed, though the smile never diminished. "We'll try to keep in touch somehow. But for now I'm happy to know that he's still in my life"

"Good" The noble born warrior nodded, his voice growing distant for a moment. "Treasure that, Neria" The elven mage knew he spoke from experience; she dared not bring up painful memories so she merely gave him a thankful nod. "Now, to business. Howe has gotten Loghain's ear, he's branded the Wardens traitors... alongside with my family" He ignored the looks of outrage and shock in their faces, now wasn't the time for pity. "Have you been able to procure anything of use?"

"Supplies and money are accounted for" Sofie spoke up, "Meanwhile; I've entered a partnership with the Blackstone Irregular mercenaries. We'll have their support in the coming battles if I hold up my part of the bargain and do some contracts for them"

"I've heard of them, they're talented" Marcus nodded in approval.

"The Mages' Collective is willing to lend us some contacts and items" Sarya said, "We'll be better prepared to deal with the Circle of Magi and the Chantry with whatever information they can give us"

"Will the Circle present trouble?" Neria asked, "The Treaties pretty much force them to aid us, even the Chantry and Templars can't do anything about it"

"It never hurts to be prepared" Brianna pointed out, "Kinloch Hold is amongst the most stable Circles, but after what happened with the Dalish, I wouldn't be surprised if something else stops them from lending us aid"

"This is absurd" The dalish among them said with growing irritation, "We are supposed to save this land, and yet we are forced to sneak like thieves to do so" It did not make any sense to Theron.

"I don't like it as much as you do" Marcus said in understanding before directing his gaze to Gin, "Speaking of thieves" He tried not to make his tone too judgmental, "My first instinct when it comes to the Thieves' Guild is to put any of them in a cell... but these are desperate times. What about the Guild, can we make use of their network of information?"

"Miara and Serana said they'd handle it" Gin shrugged, "Told me to go see my family" He paused as he looked at his cup; "Things are okay." He muttered as he looked up to Marcus; "Anyways, if those two met Slim and proved themselves we got more friends then."

Theron glanced over; "Trusting in thieves..."

"Hey." Gin pointed a finger at the Dalish warrior; "Call me and Slim whatever you want I don't care. But the guild made damn sure the poor and Alienage were cared for as best we could. Better than the damn shem lords." Gin remarked with an edge before peering to Marcus; "No offense."

"None taken, Iona told me a lot. Honestly I never understood why Anora or Cailan didn't take better care of this place." It wasn't like the capitol was low on money.

Leliana sipped her mug with a small sneer, Ferelden ale never tasted well. "We should discuss what we do next."

"Um, excuse me." A man voice caught their attention as they all turned their heads. A man in simple clothes with brunette hair with long braids in the front of his face. He lightly backed up at the imposing sight of Sten staring him down. "Please I don't mean to interrupt, my name is Levi Dryden."

That got Alistair's attention; "Dryden... I recall Duncan telling about meeting someone named Dryden."

"That's me. I knew Duncan, he was good honorable man. And I'll never believe the lies coming from the court. I came to him on something I found, something the Wardens I know would like to have back. Soldier's Peak"

Marcus's eye grew in recognition; "Are you sure? That fortress was lost since The Storm Age."

"Aye, after that mess with king Arland and the Warden were banished. The place was forgotten"

"So" Brianna asked, "You want us to help you recover it"

The man wringed his hands in embarrassment, "I-I know it's a lot to ask, you guys have a lot in your plate and all what with the Blight. But... well, Duncan made me a promised, it would help clear my family name"

Marcus frowned in confusion, "Your family...?" His eyes suddenly snapped open in recognition, "Oh sweet Maker, now I remember. The Dryden family..."

"Ohhhh of course!" Neria smiled as knowledge from her studies surged to the surface. "The Warden Commander during the time of King Arland was Sophia Dryden, it was she who..." Upon seeing the expression on Levi's face, her smile slowly diminished until it disappeared, "Lead an uprising against the king" She lamely muttered.

"I assure you that's not what happened" The man replied strongly. "I believe I can find proof of my family's innocence in that fortress"

"Look, Levi" Marcus sighed tiredly, "On another time, I would have loved to help you" Recovering pieces of Ferelden history was very important for him after all. "But now we're pressed for time, and honestly we don't have any use for a fortress. Our quest will take us throughout Ferelden constantly. Recovering Soldier's Peak will be a waste of time" At that, Morrigan and Sten nodded in agreement.

Levi's shoulder sagged, all hope vanishing from his face, ready to give up.

"Actually... we may be able to use it"

Until Sarya's soft voice spoke up, making all gazes turn to her. Her eyes looked lost, shifting as though she was looking at opportunities presenting themselves in front of her, a hand cupping her chin.

A smile slowly broke in her lips, "We turn the fortress into a hub point for our party and still continue our quest without wasting time traveling"

Confused looks were exchanged. "How so?" Sofie asked, before her own eyes widened. "Unless you mean..."

Her sister's smile grew bigger, "By installing a Rune travel system. I call it fast travel but the Mages Guild loves the flare."

"Huh?" a few in their party quipped.

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* * *

 _ **Soldier's Peak…. Are you ready?**_


	18. Soldier's Peak

**Disclaimer** : We do not own The Elder Scrolls or Dragon Age Series.

 **Co-author and Beta** : Etheral-23

 **Soldier's Peak**

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"I'll be honest with you, honey. I was hoping to teach Isabela a few things... turns out that girl required no further education~"

"Hmm, indeed. She knew the six things women are good for with other women"

"You think it was tacky on my part to enchant her jewelry? I mean I didn't want to make it look like I was 'paying' her-"

"Oh please, you heard how much she loves the sea. I'm sure she'll appreciate the ability to swim like a fish and breathe underwater"

"Well that kiss she gave me showed she was very grateful~"

"Oh for all that is holy and unholy in this world" Theron snapped, frustration lacing his every word. "Would you two stop talking about your sex life OUT LOUD?!"

"Welcome to our lives," Both Sofie and Sarya drawl slowly with a dry deadpan.

It had been a day since the group had left Denerim and started their sojourn to Soldier's Peak. An old once forgotten Gray Warden fortress nestled in the remote snowy mountain range of the Coastlands between Highever and Amaranthine. Their company had grown with Bodahn and his son Sandal who brought their large horse drawn wagon. Marcus had accepted the old dwarven merchant's proposal to accompany them which was a nice change as most now sat in the cart to let their feet rest.

Along for the ride was Levi who stared mostly up at the sky. "Odahviing won't swoop down and snatch you, you know." Miara quipped as she rode on Shadowmare. The reveal and explanation of her spectral horse to the others was mildly entertaining as was showing their new companions of Miara's and Sarya's real appearance, and a giant talking red dragon.

Who knew dwarves could run so damn fast? It took a while to calm them (just Bodahn) and Levi who had ran up a tree that Odahviing was on their side (and wouldn't eat them). Did not help from the big red dragon that remark those two would not even be a snack and Levi was too thin for a meal.

"I-I know, just... How do you get use to a talking dragon?" Levi lamented as he peered over to everyone.

Bodahn felt like speaking as well "Got to say I'm wondering the same. Along with that strange horse you summoned Lady Redoran"

"Just Miara, no need to be formal with me. Shadowmare was a gift and a friend. Got me out of a number of tight spots." The Dunmer patted her horse.

"Speaking of tight spots" Gin spoke up, "How long do these go on?"

'These' being the long networks of top-open caves from a large winding mine shafts one need to traverse through in order to quickly reach the ancient fortress. As Marcus had explained, Soldier's Peak was built on the base of the mountains, the terrain was not inaccessible on foot, but was a long uphill climb, parts where some horses and carriages couldn't make the journey. So with Levi's guidance they traveled the few areas where horses could move through to the fortress.

It also added the strategic advantage making the deployment of siege weaponry impossible. As the terrain wasn't fit for it, and they would be too far from the keep to properly reach it even on more stable ground. It only added the fortress' value in Miara's mind.

"Not much longer" Levi said, "At least a hundred meters more before we get out of the tunnels"

"You are very familiar with the layout" Alistair commented, "Have you been through before?" It'd make sense, given the man's desire to reclaim the Keep and clear his family name; he'd have explored the tunnels to make sure it was safe.

To their surprise, Levi looked hesitant. "I... haven't, actually"

That drew more than a few surprised gazes. "You haven't?" Theron replied in confusion. "But you navigated us through the caves without issue"

"It's... hard to explain. I haven't been here before, but it's almost like... I have. This will sound strange but lately I've been having these... dreams" He paused but soon continued; "Since I was a lad I kept seeing this place over and over again in my dreams. Like something was calling me here."

"Something or someone likely was." Sarya quipped as she shifted on her seat of the wagon. "That is well beyond coincidence, Levi. Something wanted you to find the Peak."

"We will figure that out when we get there." Marcus said as he rested his forearms on his knees. His mood had improved slowly after leaving Denerim, but he was still in turmoil over what he was told. He did give Mallol a quick goodbye who addressed she will send a letter to his mother and Iona about him and the others.

A low whine came to his attention as he saw Loke raise his head to look at him. He gave a weak smile before petting his hound.

Neria looked from the wagon to her Mabari who walked beside Shadowmare. "You doing okay boy?" Bran barked back and resumed sniffing around the Dunmer's demon horse. Miara never said, but the former circle mage knew it was sentient, annoyance shone in its eyes watching her hound roamed around it.

Leliana tightened the string to her bow before looking to Levi; "And you were actually with Duncan and late Commander Genevieve to see King Maric on having the Wardens return to Ferelden?"

"Proudest day of my life." Levi spoke with reverence as he smiled at the memory. "Loghain was against it. Mostly because they were from the Orlesian chapter." the man grumped.

Marcus grunted, "Sounds like Loghain..."

The rest of their journey continued in silence. It wasn't long until they saw a light at the end of the tunnel, along with the cool air from the mountains. Patches of white snow visible as the temperature gradually dropped.

Morrigan shivered despite herself, casting a spell on her person to ward off the cold. Sarya noticed this and grinned, "Bet you'd wish to wear more clothing now" The witch merely scoffed and ignored her.

They exited the tunnels, and were treated with a majestic sight. It was nowhere near the size of giant fortresses like Fort Drakon or Ostagar, but it was a fine structure all the same.

Sitting at the base of the mountain, it stood tall despite all the years it had been left abandoned, separated into two great structures, the first one at least five stories tall with multiple solid stone walls and battlements. Stone steps descended into a large courtyard that was guarded by tall sturdy rock walls and a large gate. A great long sprung from the fourth floor, connecting to another large part of the fortress with a tower at the center.

"Here it is, like I've seen in my dreams..." Levi softly said in reverence, holding great respect for this place and it represented for his family.

The group marveled at the sight, Miara whistled in appreciation. "Now, this is a fine fortress. You can tell they built it to last"

"I'll say..." Marcus muttered, "Look at it all, centuries have gone by and the whole outer structure looks mostly intact. The wear and tear is minimal on the outside"

"Perhaps this diversion will be worthwhile" Sten admitted, even the stoic qunari could appreciate the benefit of having a strong base of operations such as this one.

As Neria took in the sights with a wide smile on her face, every step she took caused it to dwindle. Feeling as something was... out of place. "Bri?" She cautiously called to her friend. "Can you feel that?"

Before an answer could be given, the air had grown hazy, almost like they were surrounded by mist. Apparitions of people, soldiers, and march away from the fortress in disarray were seen.

 _"Fall back, fall back I say!" A commander in old Ferelden plate armor ordered firmly._

 _An officer walked up to him, "Taking the keep will not be easy my lord"_

 _"I gave the Wardens one chance to die with honor, instead they hold up like cowards. We'll follow the king's advice then, starve them out"_

 _"But the peak has months of supplies!" The officer urgently pointed out._

 _"Then we wait!" The commander snapped, "When they're too weak to lift their weapons, we will send them to their final judgement"_

Then, as soon as it began, it was all over.

"What in the Ancestors' names was that?" Bodahn exclaimed in shocked, having never witnessed something like that in his life.

"A vision of the past" Brianna muttered seriously, reaching out to get a feel of the world around them, confirming her suspicions.

"The Veil is very thin here" Morrigan voiced what the other mages were thinking. "The deaths that occurred here long ago weakened it. It left its mark as we just saw"

"The Veil?" Levi asked in confusion. Miara shouldn't be surprised the common folk weren't too informed on the nature of the mystical.

"The barrier that separates the physical world and the Fade" Neria explained before urgently pointing out. "Be wary, if the Veil is so thin here than that means demons have managed to slip through"

A large shadow descended down as Odahviing landed near them. A low growl came from him along with the two mabari hounds that bristled and shook. "The air smells of old death," the ruby dragon muttered with disdain.

Miara dismounted from Shadowmare as the others got off the wagon. "We need to be ready for anything." In the slightest chance there were undead she kept Dawnbreaker sheathed and drew Dragonbane instead, she didn't want to risk Serana.

"We will just stay back here if that's all the same. We're not fighters," Bodahn remarked as he patted his son's shoulder as both stayed close to their wagon.

"That is best." Marcus lamented as the rest plus Odahviing drew near the open courtyard.

A grunt came from Sten as he drew his own weapon "The air is too still."

Odahviing's eyes narrowed as he saw frozen remains all around. The others soon saw as a gasp escaped Neria's lips as the countless bodies littering the area. The cold mountain air preserving them all in their last moments. Some were bones; some still a bit had flesh along with broken armor and weapons in hand. Once side being the Warden, the other Ferelden...

Leliana held her pendant close as she whispered a prayer. "Gods..." Sofie ran a hand through her hair; "This was a massacre."

"We can bury these people properly once this is done." Alistair quipped as he had his sword and shield ready. Theron already had his sword drawn next to Marcus. Gin held his crossbow close near Neria and Brianna.

Morrigan gazed hardened along with Sarya who's hands buzzed with magic. "Levi if you can't fight get back to Bodahn." The telvanni mage quipped as all heard a rattle of bones. The human merchant need not be told twice as he ran back to the dwarfs.

"The spirits have taken possession of the corpses" Neria announced, "By ready!"

"Pfft, skeletons" Miara scoffed. They were hardly a challenge. Holy magic glowed in her free hand as she gripped Dragonbane.

The corpses rose, the skeletons letting out a rattling sound as they moved. The bodies that still had some long dried up flesh in them let out shrieking howls as they charged. Bodies shambling without any sort of coordination or skill, but more than making it up in numbers.

Neria casted a barrier over as many allies as she could. Brianna conjured fire to strengthen her allies' blades, setting them ablaze. Morrigan stomped her staff on the ground, calling forth solid stone from the ground and firing it at great speed towards the closest undead she could see. It dented the remains of its armor as its decayed limbs simply peeled off from the impact.

Marcus spun his blades on his hands, parrying the clumsy strikes of two skeletons as a pair of simple swipes brought them down. Alistair charged with his shield up, bringing down multiple undead on his path. Sten swung his greatsword over his head, the might strike cutting down three skeletons in just one swing.

Leliana and Gin shoot down any undead that approached their allies from the back, covering their flank. Bolts and arrows piercing ancient bones with eyes, the creatures crumbling down as though piercing their empty skulls had the same result as though they still had brains left.

Sofie decided these undead weren't the trouble of taking out her blade. Rolling her neck, popping the stiff joints with satisfying cracks, she pulled from the well of raging energy within her, surging fore like an inferno. Her fists clenched, arms shaking from the effort as her muscles swelled larger, stronger, straining against the armor as a scale-texture covered her skin. A shrieking corpse swung an old rusted flail over its head; the Nordic warrior kicked it on its plated chest, sending it flying back. Her fists lashed out with ferocity, taking the head clean off from another with a swift punch, before grabbing a charging skeleton by the skull, her hand cracking the bone and pulverizing it without much effort.

Odahviing growled as he smashed any undead that came close with his tail, feet, or giant maw. The ground shook as his tail slammed into the ground, crushing several walking skeletons. "Sahlo (weak)!" He bellow with a sneer.

"You know." Serana grunted as sliced a walking skeleton that lunged at her; "Whether it be here or Tamriel. Skeletons are so damn annoying." Another skeleton broke apart as she launched an ice spike through its chest.

Soon a loud inhuman shriek caught attention as a creature in a robe-like outfit that looked like its skin with leather belts fused in. It had strong muscular arms with sharp claws and a long neck but no real head. However two glowing eyes glared at the group.

"Shade!" Neria and Bri chorused as they fought side by side.

So another 'demon' of the fade like Rage from the Elven Temple. Once more to Miara and Serana, this felt like no Daedra.

They didn't much have time to ponder on the nature of the being when the creature struck. Streams of pure frost blasting from its claws at the vampire and dunmer. She dunmer called forth a ward to block the frost magic, while the vampire made little attempt at defending herself from.

"Hmph, using cold against a vampire" Even as frost began covering her enchanted clothes and the visible parts of her skin, gathering in thin layers of ice, Serana remained unfazed. "Foolish" And against a Volkihar, the height of folly, her clan could walk through solid ice without issue, this little display of magical ice was barely an inconvenience.

Serana snapped her fingers, conjuring two large spectral hands from below the ground, wrapping themselves around the Shade in a deadly coil. With a swipe of her hand, the hands blazed purple with arcane energy, compressing their forms and the shade as they exploded with a blast of arcane power. The Shade was reduced to pieces, dark demonic ichor coating the ground around it.

As the last of the skeletons were brought down, Brianna ceased her observation of Sarya's mastery over chain lightning, even as it linked to four undead at once. To stare in awe at Serana's spell. "Oh that was so... badass"

"Just a bit of dark magic hun"

Neria shook her head but held her tongue while Marcus spoke up; "Everyone alright?"

"We're fine." Theron responded as he stared at the fortress; "We will likely face more. Maybe a lot more inside."

Levi ran back up to them as Bodahn came up with his son and wagon and Shadowmare. "Sweet Andraste! Were those undead!?"

"And a demon." Brianna quipped as she knelt down to the now still bones. "And who knows what else is waiting for us."

Marcus thought for a moment before turning to Levi; "We don't know what we will face inside. Might be safer for you three out here."

"I couldn't help but agree." Bodahn cleared his throat as Sandal only stared at the fortress. "But what if one of those shamblers comes out?"

Miara thumbs over to Odahviing; "My zeymah will keep you safe." A low grumble of displeasure came from the ruby dragon but nodded in compliance. "But we still might need another sword if their numbers swell and some stragglers escape him." A familiar purple glow came from her hand as Neria and a few others tensed. Extending her hand she opened a door to Oblivion.

What stepped out was the most beautiful tall woman many of them had ever seen. Her skin a golden-hue adorned in ornate golden armor with large pauldrons and battle skirt which revealed her toned stomach and shapely legs. On her feet were armored boot that went up to her knees, her face held a look of indifference as she wore a winged helmet with her long flowing golden hair came out from the back and down to her waist. In one gauntlet covered hand was an ornate golden shield while a sheathed blade with a golden guard handle rested at her hip. Her golden yellow eyes casted a blank gaze at people around her.

Neria froze beside a very curious Brianna and Morrigan. Theron was tense as was Gin who gripped his crossbow tightly.

"Strange new mortals you parade around with Lady Miara," the daedra remarked in disdain with a regal husky tone.

"They are very strange." Miara mused earning an indignant cry from Alistair and few others that she ignored. "But good mortals." An 'hmph' came from the Daedra woman before the Dunmer looked to the crew from Thedas. "This is Ihoura, a Golden Saint or Aureals as they prefer."

Ihoura cocked her head; "I assumed you summoned me other than showing these mortal true perfection?"

"Yes." Miara drawled as she rolled her eyes and pointed to the fortress. "We're currently going into that fortress there"

The saint's gaze turned to the Peak; "Puzzling..." She only remarked dryly.

"You know, your demons are really not what I'm expecting" Alistair replied, managing to sound jovial despite his apprehension regarding the demon.

"Should I summon a Seeker then? They are masses of tentacles with mouths where there shouldn't be mouths"

"Ah, that's more like it... and please don't"

The Aureal turned her golden gaze to the dunmer woman. "Shall I venture forth into the fortress then, my lady?"

"No" Miara said with a shake of her head before pointing to Levi and the dwarves. "Guard them while we explore"

That seemed to annoy the golden woman. "Must I?"

"You must" It wasn't with anger that Miara reaffirmed her order, but a rather matter of factly tone as though there was no other option.

The golden warrior sighed to herself, walking less than enthusiastically towards the mortals who wearily eyed her. "Just because I have infinite amounts of time does not mean I should waste them with this..." She muttered to herself.

As they stared at the daedra resign herself to her task, the group shared various looks amongst themselves. "Can't say I've ever seen anyone command a demon like that..." Brianna said, voice lost in thought. "Or that one would look so beautiful"

A groan came from Neria as she rubbed her eyes; "Please stop ogling the demon woman Bri..."

"Briinah, you doubt I can watch these joor?"

Miara rolled her eyes at the mock hurt tone from the ruby dragon.

Levi quickly came up to Marcus; "I want to come with you."

"Are you sure?" Gin questioned as he came up beside him; "You can't fight"

"I know. But need I need to see what's in there. Need to know the truth. Please Marcus..."

The Cousland rubbed his chin; "stay behind us and duck for cover when any fighting starts."

Theron sighed; "Will make our work a bit harder. But understand, he wants to know his kin."

"Are we ready?" Sten questioned as he kept his gaze on Ihoura.

"Yup, let's clear out a fortress." Sofie smiled as she began striding ahead of the others.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Opening the large double doors the group came to long hall covered with dust and webbing. Old armor sets stood proudly on stands near the wall, tables and other furnishings laid about, some broken. And like before bodies lay about. This time only skeletons, some being wardens and other Ferelden soldiers.

"Maker, I'm starting to think the fighting occurred everywhere here." Alistair addressed in a solemn rebuke.

Miara kept her focus around the building itself; "This place is remarkably in a good condition."

Before anyone could speak back the air grew hazy once more as ethereal figures appeared. From human, elf, and dwarf; all were dressed in gear of the Gray Wardens. Serena took note that their gear had overall not changed much over the centuries. Soon the spectral figure of a man in warden mage gear came beside a woman in full plate armor.

 _"The men's morale is low. My spells are of no use in this matter commander." The mage spoke with remorse._

 _But the woman's gaze remained steely; "There is more to leading men than sorcery, Avernus. I will remind them that they are Wardens." The woman moved to the center of the room. "Men! I won't lie to you, the situation is grim!" Her eyes gazed to each person around her; "Our forces are outnumbered, our bellies empty. And our hearts are sagging."_

 _Soon fire blazed in her eyes as she shouted; "But we are Warden! Darkspawn flee at the sound of our horns! Archdemons die when they taste our blades!" She paused as she glared; "So are we to kneel to mere human despot?! No!" Her men soon cheered; "I, for one will never give up! I, for one will never surrender just to dance on Arland's gallows!"_

 _Her men cheered louder as the man nodded in agreement to their commander as her words roused them. "So I propose now, in these hallowed halls where generations of our brethren stood vigil against the Darkspawn and evil... That we send a message to that fat bastard! That in this sacred place; proud men, strong men, stood defiant! And would rather die than submit to tyranny!"_

At that her men cheered as the vision soon faded.

Those had truly been inspiring words, even across the centuries, the party could feel the invigorating power behind them.

Levi looked on both proudly and humbled that his ancestor could command such loyalty from her warriors. "So brave, even against the odds..."

"Now that was a leader" Alistair said, his voice distant.

The Amell mage's brows furrowed in thought, "Wait, did you people catch that part about King Arland?" Brianna brought up. "She called him a despot, a tyrant. But in all my studies of Ferelden history never did I find anything that would point to Arland being a cruel monarch"

"Unsurprising" Marcus shrugged, "After Arland's death there was a terrible war of succession. A decade savage of infighting, many people died and a lot of records were destroyed. It was a dark chapter for the country, both with how gruesome it was and how little we know about it"

"Then... that means she had a reason!" The living Dryden exclaimed, a hopeful smile blooming on his lips. "You heard her, my ancestor must have led the Wardens to revolt against Arland because he was a tyrant!"

"I know you want to clear your family name" Sofie tactfully said, "But you don't know for sure what happened. Maybe Arland was very stern and harsh in some matters while he was more understanding in others. Some people would have hated him while others preferred his rule. History isn't always so black and white, one's tyrant can be another's champion" The nord knew that all too well, she had learnt those things from a young age with Stormcloak Rebellion.

Levi looked like he wanted to argue more, but instead a tired sigh escaped his lips. "I know, maybe I'm just being too hopeful. I'm just... my family has gone through very rough times ever since Sophia's rebellion. If I could clear our name then perhaps things could finally change for us"

"You put too much stock in the past to know your future" Morrigan commented disapprovingly. "That is a sure path to make sure you have neither"

Sarya smiled widely, "See, even Morri is concerned for you"

"I'm really not" The swamp witch's comment went ignored this time.

Marcus knelt down in front of a Warden skeleton; "The armor and even this place is well intact."

"My guess is the weather was just right on this mountain to preserve it so well." Serana clarified; "A few places in Skyrim had the same with only needing minor repairs."

Sarya crossed her arms; "This place will be a superb base for us! Once we clear the dead and thought constructs out."

"How about we save the renovation plans after this is done?" Alistair commented with a grin.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Exiting the front hall the group went fully into the fortress. In some areas they found the remains of battle and ruin, while other areas were untouched. One being an armory locked from the inside. It took both Sofie and Sten to break down one of the doors. Within they found a slew of weapons and armor. Sadly nearly all of it was worn and unusable; but for Miara's keen smithing eye she expressed she can make Warden gear by going over all these pieces.

"I can update everything you all have." The Dunmer stated with a grin.

Alistair looked down at his gear; "Think our stuff is alright."

"You'll think otherwise when I'm done and use Tamriel materials."

Sarya shook her head to the former Templar; "Just give up, when it comes to forging. Mom always wins."

Serana theatrically lamented, "Maybe one day she'll love me like that"

"All you need to do is heat up metal, breath out fumes and be two tons heavy" Sofie quipped.

The armory was a closed off room as they found, it did not lead anywhere else. So they backtracked through the larger room and continued forth. They ended up arriving at another large chamber, this one filled with multiple bookcases, most likely this place was the library. The books were in various stages of rot, while others had been badly burnt.

"Doesn't look like we'll get much out of this place" Alistair commented.

Neria spotted a burnt book on the ground, feeling faint hints of magic in it. She knelt down carefully turned the pages with her magic. Most of the book was ruined but she could make out a few words here and there. It always saddened her to see lost knowledge like this, if only there was a way to-

The air grew hazy once more, as another vision settled.

Wardens retreated from the room, leaving behind them a barred door that was struggling to hold the battering from the other side. The sound of a battering-ram hitting the wood with the shouts of soldiers operating the siege weapon was heard. A mage woman approached an older Warden with fear in her eyes.

 _"The door won't hold Archivist"_

 _"Almost done..." The older mage said in desperation. "The truth must be told"_

 _"What does it matter? We're dead" She spoke despondently, having already given up._

 _"Our grand rebellion, so close..." The archivist despaired. "And to die here a stillbirth"_

 _"We never should have done it!" She wailed, cursing their actions. "Wardens aren't supposed to oppose kings and princes!"_

 _The old archivist had not given up his convictions however. "Should we stand idly while-"_

The soldiers let out a warring cry as the door burst open, and so the vision ended.

"Anyone else is getting a headache from these things?" Gin groaned, rubbing his eyes.

Alistair shook his head, crossing his arm. "Sounds a lot of the Wardens here believed in Sophia's rebellion, saw it as a grand cause"

Both Mabari sniffed around as Levi was unsure how to feel; "Something had to be bad enough for the Wardens to act?"

"We're not meant to go against nations." Alistair retorted while Theron and Leliana looked through the shelves. "We might do odd jobs here and there but we remain neutral."

Marcus turned to his friend; "Then something happened that made neutrality no longer an option?"

"It would have to be something big. Too big for even the Wardens to ignore." Alistair stressed grimly.

"We should press on." Sten spoke up beside Sofie and Brianna.

A grunt came from Miara; "I agree we should-" An ear piercing shriek made most of them wince as a as the floor ahead of them glowed.

What leapt out was a towering humanoid creature with green skin, elongated limbs with claw-like hands, and a large mouth permanently open showing rows of teeth. Multiple eyes glare at them with malicious.

"What the hell?!" Sofie exclaimed drawing her sword along with Sten.

"Terror demon, annoyingly swift! Take it down fast." Morrigan remarked as she and the others mages launched fire, ice, and lightning.

It managed to let out a long shriek once, before the spells hit it, and yet that was enough to make the hearts of the party beat erratically, even with the heat of battle. True to its name, Terror inflicted fear and panic into them, a dangerous foe that could quickly break morale.

They wasted no time in taking down the creature, blasting it with spells and hacking away at its long limbs. The demon was brought down swiftly, black ichor coating the weapons of those who struck it down. Yet their minds had yet to settle from the panic they had felt.

Levi was huddled up in a corner, shielding his face with his arms and shivering violently. The demon's power had been too much for the poor man.

"Was never hit with magic like that before..." Marcus muttered, still unnerved.

The swamp witch commented, "That fact you're still standing, along with some of our allies, speaks a lot of your mental fortitude"

Serana sighed, approaching the cowering man who mumbled in incoherence to himself. "Don't worry, you'll be fine" She channeled illusion magics through her hand and casted it upon him. Levi stopped shivering, yet lurched his stomach's contents on the floor; the sudden shock wearing off still did a number on him.

He heaved, cleaning his mouth. His stomach slowly settling as a sense of calmness quickly put him at ease. "What did you do?"

"The demon hit us with fear, so instead I used magic to conjure calmness"

"Ohhhhh" Brianna's eyes lit up with interest. "In the Entropy School of magic we have spells to inspire fear or just disorient the target. But you say your magics include inspiring actual positive emotions or mental states?"

"Courage, calmness" Sarya listed off, "And even more aggressive emotions like rage"

"Depending on your skill of the school of illusion magic; you can quell a mob or insight a riot with the wave of a hand." Miara remarked as she had done both when situations called for it. Turning a large bandit camp on each other or stopped a large scuffle in one of Holds during the Skyrim civil war. The illusion arts were a handy skill.

Neria shuffled her feet; "And it's not blood magic?"

"Nope." Sarya remarked cheerfully; "Lovely isn't it?"

It made no sense to the elven Thedosian mage. You need blood magic to influence the mind like that! Just how advanced was Tamriel in the ways of the Arcane?

"Let's get moving." Gin remarked and the others agreed as they left the library.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Being thorough the group traversed every room, corridor, and crevice for undead and demons. Thankfully after the Terror demon the attacks grew less and were easy to dispatch. Moving through fortress they found the private chambers of the Warden Commander and Constable of the Grey (second-in-command Alistair had explained). Sadly the rooms were in disrepair like the library, with even Sophia's journals being ruined. Going further they found a large room with multiple broken beds that were once neatly together. Brianna openly commented it reminded her of the open dorms in Kinloch hold. Not much or at all any way for privacy.

While the group discussed the potential applications of the fortress and its various chambers. The ever focused and sharpened mind of the Qunari in their party found itself... drifting. That was a rare occurrence for the Sten, all of his life had been about discipline and focus, and to let his mind wander idle was a confusing and dangerous prospect. He found their conversations to be pointless dribble many times, and the distractions they created for themselves too many. It got to the point he tuned them out, but not even the battlefield could give him the focus he needed again.

A warrior must be disciplined at all times, as was expected of a follower of the Qun.

But that was the issue wasn't it? He wasn't a member of the Qun. Not anymore. He was not a savage and honorless Tal-Vashoth, but no longer was he the Sten of the Beresaad. Not since he lost his Soul.

His slaughter of that innocent family who nursed him back to health had proved it. He did not forsake his duty like the Tal-Vashoth, but the loss of his Asala had rendered him savage all the same, already he was failing the Qun. Were he a true Qunari, he'd have cut down these Saarebas who consorted with demons and profane magics. Even if the one who had sent him free was their family, dangerous things like them should never be allowed to roam free.

And yet he stayed his hand, for the lack of his Soul, the slaughter he carried out with his own hands, had shown him he was no longer fit to be Qunari, even if that was what he wanted to be. He could not carry out the judgement the Qun demanded.

And... There were other reasons as well.

These people from the far shores of Tamriel, what an enigma they presented. Dangerous without a doubt, in need to be contained and yet... they showed honor.

This... was not something he could understand. How this strange family were so heretical, dangerous, and yet noble. A low grunt escaped his lips as his attention came to his current company as they found a large reinforced steel door.

"A Warden Vault." Alistair runs his hand over the door.

"Vaults usually mean money and treasure." Sarya summarized with her hands on her hip.

"You would be right. Money, documents, certain relics or gear is stored here." The former Templar looked closer; "Looks like someone tried to get in but couldn't."

Miara tapped her chin; "So whatever is in there stayed. We can try to open this later."

"Agreed, lets finish clearing this place," Marcus quipped as the group pressed onwards.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

"Are you sure it's coming from here?" Miara questioned Amell who nodded back.

"Definitely, the Veil here is weakest than anywhere else in the fortress so far"

Thanks to their mages, the Wardens and their allies knew they were nearing to the source of the tear in the Veil. Most likely the place where the most desperate and chaotic fight had taken place. Their path lead them to a very large room that was mostly empty, except for the large chimney they saw the moment they entered.

A few steps took them to the upper level, and there they found something much more unnerving. Four circular sigils built upon the ground, standing in a perfect square from each other, the corner of the room was pulsing with a sick purple miasma, crackling with violet arcs of electricity as though it was a localized storm cloud.

"Holy- The Veil is even more messed up than I thought" Brianna exclaimed, eyes wide open.

"No wonder the entire fortress is like this. Those things on the ground" Neria pointed out, "They must be part of some ritual the Wardens did here"

"And the result was THAT?" Gin said, pointing at that unnerving moving mass of darkness at the corner of the room.

"That's a very unstable Veil Tear" Morrigan supplied, "It's so large that demons are able to manifest freely"

"You're saying you could cross into the Fade through it?" Serana asked.

"Hah!" The witch barked a laugh, "Crossing physically into the Fade? Impossible. You'd require an ungodly source of power to even attempt something like that"

Sarya clicked her tongue. "Uh-huh, yes, impossible" Miara arched an eyebrow at her daughter, she knew that tone. Her daughter had done something 'again' that would bring them more trouble down the line. Ugh, curse her realm jumping abilities...

"And that only happened in legends" The Amell added.

"Not sure the Chantry would appreciate you calling their beliefs legends" The senior Warden among them slowly said.

"And you know how I feel about that"

Suddenly, once more a vision assaults them. This time they were in the middle of a battle, Sophia and her Wardens fighting off the king's soldiers. _"Make them pay for every inch, men!" A soldier charged at her with a cry, his blade was swiftly parried away and his throat slit. "Hold the flank! Avernus," She turned to the mage they had seen before in a previous vision, "we need you!"_

 _The mage began casting in an arcane tongue, "Nelatep obresooth net bekon!"_

 _Their eyes widened as fire erupted from the ground, and from it emerged a rage demon._

 _The soldiers in the visions back away in fear, "Andraste's blood! W-What?!"_

 _Sophia was not deterred by the sudden appearance of demons, instead... "More Avernus, whatever it takes!"_

 _"Kaelee ai benfotus victus!" This time a Shade manifested from smoke, roaring._

 _"Press them, press them now!" Sophia commanded._

 _The demons attacked, but not just the enemy soldiers, they struck down Sophia's own Wardens. A female mage was thrown back against a wall, blood spluttering behind her head. A Warden who tried to run away found himself cut down by the Shade._

 _"No!" Avernus shouted, "I command you, fight the king's men!"_

 _The shade turned its bale gaze at him,_ _ **"Fool! So much death, suffering, and oh yes, blood"**_ _The demon said with relish._ _ **"The Veil is torn now"**_ _The monster loomed over the mage, forcing him to take a step back._ _ **"Your soul is mine, Avernus"**_

 _The mage staggered back in fear, "Acolytes, retreat now! The battle is lost!" And so he escaped, running up the stairs and deeper into the fortress._

 _"Avernus!" Sophia called out for soldiers who choose to run, anger in her words and disappointment in her eyes._

Then, the vision ended, leaving a very stunned group of Thedosians.

"And that" Sarya said, arms crossed under her bust, "Is why you learn how to properly bound any creature you summon"

"They got so desperate they summoned demons." Alistair sighed as he shook his head.

Leliana gripped her necklace as she spoke a small prayer. "Well this is a mess." Theron murmured as he looked at the sigils and miasma; "How do we-" He stopped speaking as Sarya went over to the sigils; "By Mythal please tell me you're not going to try something?"

The Dunmer interlocked her fingers and popped them; "As a member of House Telvanni I was taught to handle such trifles." Arcane energy glowed from her hands.

Neria came quick to her side; "You can't close it alone!" The power coming from this was immense, it made her wary. "And we don't know what might stir if someone messes with this."

"I have been training in the arcane since I was six. Taught by my mothers, Master Alfe Fyr, and Master Neloth. I am a proud member of the Dunmeri House Telvanni and eleven years your senior."

"We suppose to know those names?" Gin questioned to Sten who grunted.

Marcus came up to Sarya's side; "You can seal this?"

"Without any doubt. But we will have company most likely, the unwelcoming sort."

"Don't you at least want our help to close it?" Neria worriedly asked.

"I don't need it" Sarya merely replied with a shrug, prompting a snort and a roll of eyes from the dalish of their party.

"Sarya" Miara said in a tone one would use for misbehaving children, "What did we talk about humbleness?"

"Humbleness is the excuse of individuals' weak of will and power" She said as though she was quoting from a book.

"You really need to stop copying Neloth..."

"That was Master Alfe's words actually"

"Well she's not any better when it comes to it!"

"Anyway" The youngest daughter of the family stressed, "I also think it'd be best if you and the others get into position, this place is about to release demons the moment they feel the tear is closing"

The group wasted no time getting a position ready for the coming battle. Miara and Serana stood in front of their youngest to protect her, with Sofie at the rear with Sten. Marcus and Alistair were on the sides with Theron (much to his annoyance) beside Sarya, and the Thedosian mages in the back with Gin and Leliana ready. "Does Sarya know anything about the Arcane works done in Thedas?" The former Bard questioned out loud.

"I bought nearly every book I could at the Arcane shop in Denerim and studied what the Dalish keepers were willing to teach me." Sarya quipped with a grin. Both Loke and Bran stood ready as they snarled. Levi wisely ran to a safe place within the room and quickly hid.

"My sister is a quick study," Sofie lamented as she held her sword. "And she is the smartest person here."

"Ha! An actual compliment sister?!" Theron only muttered in elven; "You know I understand Elvhen now right?"

Frost danced in Serana's free hand; "Just start it dear."

Without another word Sarya begun to pour arcane energies into the sigils and she spoke several incantations. The miasma only grew thicker before all could hear several unnatural growls. Soon a roar echoed as shades, Terror, and a towering corpse dress in strange robes as it hovered in the air. Behind it stood a Desire demon that only smiled before raising her arm and pointed. At that the demons charged as they roared.

"So I imagine the horned lady with her tits out is some lust demon or something!" Sofie shouted as she chopped down Shade the moment it approached.

"Desire Demon!" Brianna explained as she slammed her staff and called upon frost to freeze over a small rage demon. "Not much of a difference really!"

Miara's form shifted into a mass of arcs of electricity, moving with supernatural speed through several green ghostly apparitions, the energy discharging as she phased through, stunning the incorporeal creatures before she cut them down with Dragonbane, their spectral forms falling all the same before the enchanted edge into piles of ectoplasm-like substance. "And the big guy?!"

"Arcane Horror!" Neria shouted as she conjured forth a barrier over Alistair who was battling said Horror, his Templar training served him well he dispelled the moment he saw the horror casting. "Possessed corpse of a mage!"

Alistair held his shield up, swiping a strike at the towering demon, this one backing away to avoid the sword. Rendered temporarily silent in its abilities to cast spells, the Horror swiped with its long clawed hands, scratching the shield. It's ability to cast spells soon returned, can rather than risk another Dispelling, the Horror blasted a telekinetic wave that sent Alistair flying backwards, crashing into Gin. The two falling to the ground.

Marcus bit back a swear as he cut down a Shade with his blades, slashing its throat, black ichor coating his weapons. The desire demon called forth more ghostly apparitions which casted bolts of green arcane energy at him. The Cousland was swift enough to dodge, yet a few impacted upon him, only to crash against an invisible barrier covering him like waves against the shore.

 **"You desperately find new targets to forget the one that truly deserves your blade Marcus"** The desire demon spoke, her voice musical and malicious. **"You know he must pay, yet you waste time playing leader when you should not have too. Your nation's would-be 'saviors' are naught by inept children whose hands you constantly need to hold"**

Marcus grunted as he shook off the pain; "As tempting as whatever offer you want to propose, my lady. I respectfully decline." He held his swords at the ready; "And I could never live with myself if I did nothing and the Darkspawn destroyed everything."

That only seem to amuse the demonic woman; **"A true noble warrior. What I like in men like you, the most fun to break."** She purred before shifting her head to avoid a spike of pure ice. Her purple eyes peered ahead to Serana who took down a Shade with her father's sword **. "Such power. The glory to become what you are."**

"You would fit right into Coldharbour honey." The Nordic vampire hissed as she and Marcus went to charge the demon woman.

"Desire demons nearly rival Pride demons in power!" Neria warned as she sent several blasts of lightning into approaching wraiths.

Theron grunted as he took down any approaching demon with the aid of Loke and bran; "Think you can pick up the pace?!" He quipped to Sarya as the demon pressed ahead.

"Want me to tell Merrill you talk in your sleep!" Sarya retorted back

Gin shook his head as he sat up and looked to his fellow Warden who was just as groggy; "You okay?"

"Define okay?" the former Templar groaned as he and Gin helped each other up. Both soon dodged several blasts of arcane energy as the Horror shrieked. "Guess he wants to play with us."

Gin drew out his daggers; "Aren't we lucky."

Sten tried to charge at the Horror, but a flick of its wrist and flash of magic commanded the very floor to turn against him. The stone under his feet broke and molded around him like a carapace, rendering his body immobile no matter how much he struggled, only his head remained mostly free, his expression showing the irritation he felt and the exertion as he tried to break free.

Gin took out one of his grenades and threw it at the demon. It exploded in green mist around it that quickly dissipated, revealing the demon to be completely unaffected by the alchemical concoction. The city elf bit back a swear, unsure if the poison didn't work because it was a demon, or because it was 'the possessed corpse of a mage' as Neria had said.

Theron quickly took out his bow and aimed, letting loose several arrows against the Arcane Horror, these just bounced off it from an invisible barrier, and the demon fired a stream of blaze at the dalish who quickly rolled out of the way.

Alistair gave a quick prayer to the Maker, calling upon the vestiges of lyrium in his blood. It took far more effort than it did before, a bead of sweat rolling down his head, he thrusted his blade high and called upon a Holy Smite upon the Horror. A blaze of sacred light fell upon the towering demon, crashing its barrier and hitting it with immense power. The Horror shrieked, its levitation ceasing as it stumbled over the ground, falling to one knee.

The senior Warden fell to one knee, panting. Gin did not waste any more time and ran towards the demon, with a long leap he buried his daggers right upon the creature's head.

In one swift motion he severed the corpse head from its neck. Black ichor spewed as it was finally dead. Gin spoke a quick prayer before running back to Alistair; "You alright?" As he spoke Sten broke free since the power that held him was not gone and resumed the battle.

"I'm fine, go help the others!"

Giving a nod the elf dashed over to Leliana and Morrigan taking down several shades. "Thank you!" The redhead chimed as she shot as many arrows she could into every demon in her sights.

Morrigan several spikes of ice at any foe that came close; "This is getting tiresome!"

"Aw, not having fun!?" Miara quipped as she sliced through a wraith.

A small bead of sweat came to Sarya's brow as she slowly grinned; "Almost done!"

The desire demon proved to be a strong foe for both Serana and Marcus as it attacked and dodged with cunning and skill. While at the same time attempting to tempt both with offers of power.

 **"There is something inside you!"** A burst of arcane magic swatted Marcus away, the demon grinned at the vampire with euphoria. **"Dark, profane, and so very** _ **thirsty**_ **"** Bolts of lightning flew from the demon's fingertips, Serana held them at bay with a ward, the energy crackling around it. **"Show it to me, let it all out, and do not hide it any longer!"**

"That... is where you are wrong!" The vampire hissed, letting the ward fall down, the lightning seemed to pierce through her body, this one crumbling apart, but in truth she had turned into pure mist, moving through the air and reforming right behind the desire demon. This one turned sharply, trying to strike her down with her claws. But Serana was faster and caught her arm, her vampiric strength allowing her to easily bend it until a crack was heard.

The demon howled in agony, but her cries were swiftly silenced by Serana's blade piercing her throat. Her dark eyes widened, the pain somehow lessening as she lost control of her body.

Serana leaned in, and licked away the black blood falling from the demon's neck. "I never hide my true nature"

Oddly the Desire demon smiled; **"Magnificent..."** She purred before her body became limp and fell to the floor dead as Serana pulled out her sword. The Desire demon's body soon faded.

"Hmm." the vampire licked the blood on her lips and off her fingers; "tastes like wine."

Marcus gave her a wary look before glancing to see the sigils glow; "I did it!" Sarya cheered as the miasma begun to fade and demons soon followed. "One Fade tear healed!" The dunmer giddily smiled as she lower her hands and magic faded.

Finally as the battle ended, and all breathed a long sigh of relief. Levi, who had watched it all from his hiding spot, only looked in awe at the people in front of him. "You lot are bloody amazing!"

Alistair weakly chuckled before groaning; "I could go for a pint right now."

 **"What have a you done!?"** a distorted feminine voice shrieked as the group turned at the ready as a corpse dawned in familiar warden armor ran out from a long hall behind them. A few paled as they all recognized the face. Warden Commander Sophia Dryden...

Or what was left of her. Now what stood was a rotting walking corpse. Her eyes glowed with an unnatural hue.

"Maker..." Neria cupped her hand over her mouth; "She's possessed!"

"Oh, that's what she is?" The dragonborn snidely commented, never letting go of the firm grim on her katana. "I thought she just needed a little make-up..."

Indeed, the woman was one step away from being a zombified creature. Her eyes pale, her skin blistering and blackening, her flesh sunken in. The woman very much looked like a reanimated corpse, of that there was no doubt.

"G-Grandmother?" Levi tentatively spoke; distressed by the fact he was seeing his ancestor in such a state.

"That's not your grandmother, Levi" Brianna firmly said, eyes narrowed as she readied a spell in case she needed to act fast. "That's a demon possessing her corpse"

"Or she's really let herself go..." Bless the man; at least he still managed to hold onto his sense of humor.

 **"Silence!"** She commanded in that deep unnatural voice, **"This one will have words with you! You have no idea what you've done!"**

"Yes, definitely possessed" Morrigan droned, "No mortal refers to themselves as such"

Sofie perked up, "Oh right, we never told you about the khajiiti language pronoun conventions"

 **"Enough!"** The possessed woman once more demanded, clearly enraged she was not taken seriously at all. **"This one demands you answer for what you did!"**

"No" Sarya strongly spoke, growing irritated by this point. "You demand our attention. And I am just DONE of dealing with dumb temporal thought forms for the day. So be a good like sprite" Purple magic shined in her hand, "And stop wasting our time!"

She casted a bolt of energy at the possessed woman, the late commander stumbled, the expression growing to one of horror and shock. With a flick of her wrist, Sarya commanded the spirit to come out of the body. A red spectral wraith phased out of the corpse, Sophia's body crumbled to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

Neria, Brianna, and even Morrigan were in shock as they just seen something that was impossible! The crimson wraith struggled but was all for not as Sarya's hold over it was unbreakable. It roared in defiance; **"T-this one... is Ambition! N-None-"**

"Shut. Up;" Sarya quipped steely as the wraith soon froze. Soon its posture laxed before bowing its head to the Dunmer; "That's better. And now I have something to work with here."

It took a full minute for Neria to find her voice; "H... H-h-h-how did you that..."

"That's... impossible..." Brianna shook her head with Morrigan in agreement with her.

Sarya only grinned back at them; "This is what happens when you cultivate and nurture magics to a high degree instead of condemning them."

"Uh," Gin slowly walked up beside the Dunmer; "What are going to do with it?"

"The thought construct is mine now. Learn more of the Fade from it, and then do some experiments." Sarya tapped her chin; "Maybe find a way to make it whole without possessing a mortal body."

"Before that, maybe it can tell a bit what happened here." Miara stressed as she knelt beside Sophia corpse Alistair came beside her. "We can give all the bodies' proper burials once done exploring. The armor?"

The former Templar shrugged; "We take it, it can send it back to Weisshaupt Fortress once this mess is done. History shouldn't be forgotten, regardless of what happened here."

"And might get some answers from our new friend here." Sofie gestured to the wraith that peered at her; "Got a feeling it's really pissed right now."

"It is." Sarya remarked. The Telvanni mage forced the spirit to talk. "Now 'Ambition', would you kindly tell us about if the claims of the woman, whose body you rudely possessed, were true? Was this 'King Arland' a tyrant?"

 **"All I know"** The demon's echoing voice rasped, unable to resist the dunmer's command. " **Was what she believed true, and what she saw. There were deaths, fear, and oppression"** The wraith let out the last word in a snarl, its non-existent eyes glaring at the one who had taken control of it. **"Her goal of... deposing the king, it called so strongly that it drove me to find her body. Her ambitions. I know not if they were just or wrong by mortal standards, nor do I care..."**

"Hmm" Sarya pursed her lips, "I guess that's as closer to the truth we'll know"

"It must know something else" Levi asked, a hint of desperation in his voice.

 **"Release me!"** The wraith demanded. **"You cage me like, bound me to your desires, and I... I...!"** The spirit shrieked, its form breaking and reforming of all sudden.

Sarya tilted her head, "Well that's sudden"

"You denied it its nature" Brianna explained, "Spirits and demons are beings of changes. When their nature is perverted they change into something else. Faith spirits can become Pride demons for example. You are taking away its ambitions so it's... breaking apart"

"Hmm..." The mage grew thoughtful, her eyes narrowing before she closed them in concentration. The shifting mass of the spirit reformed, becoming whole once more, now less like a spectral aggressive entity and more like a vaguely humanoid shape suspended in the air.

 _"How may I serve you, my lady?"_ The voice was completely different now, tame, yet still carrying the same presence and energy of before.

"Wait" Neria stepped forth, looking at the demon wide eyed. "What did you do?"

"Fade spirits are beings born of mortal perception are they not?" Sarya hypothetically asked, "So, I merely shifted my perception of it from an annoying pain in the ass, to a hopeful and helpful spirit. In short, I turned it from an aggressive demon to a passive spirit"

 _"And I offer my sincerest thanks my lady. My former self was most antagonistic."_ The new spirit spoke humbly in a polite tone. _"I am now Humility, I shall offer what aid I can."_

Serana grinned; "Well that's a nice change of pace." A grunt came from Sten who remained a good distance away.

Once more the Thedosian mages were dumbstruck at the impossible feat just shone to them. Sofie only pointed to her sister and mouthed; 'really smart' with a snort that came from Theron who rolled his eyes.

Levi came close to the new spirit; "Is there anything more about my grandmother?"

 _"I am afraid there is not. As my former self address sir, however there is another person here who might know what you seek. Avernus."_ Nearly everyone perked up as the names was spoken.

"The mage who fought beside Commander Sophia?" Marcus questioned; "But, that was two hundred years ago. No way he can still be alive?"

Humility shook its head; _"I know not how he extended his life, but he has done so. He stays within the tower; he had placed nearly a dozen wards and traps to hold my former self at bay."_ The spirit looked down as it noticed Loke and Bran sniffing around it.

Gin glanced over to Neria and Bri; "Can someone do that?"

"We never heard of such a thing." The Amell addressed with uncertainty.

"It can be done in Tamriel." all turn to Miara who crosses her arms under her bust. "Mostly with mages, they're not immortal like Serana. Through the arcane they slowed their aging to an immense degree, allowing them to live for hundreds, even thousands of years."

"Some people really want to live that long?" Alistair remarked warily.

"When you're a mage in the pursuit of knowledge, you don't let something as trivial as age stopping you." Sarya spoke reciting something master Alfe told her once. "I think we learned what we can from our new friend. Humility, I'll be sending you to a place outside the Fade. With any luck that place will make you a whole being and no longer fall prey to turning like you did before."

 _"Oh! I would be most thankful my lady."_ With a short bow to the group Sarya's hand glowed as the new spirit vanished in purple light. Absently she reminded herself to check on Valor when getting a chance. Moonshadow is a nicer and safer place than the Fade by miles.

"I... I can't just ignore what happened right before my eyes" The dark tanned elven mage muttered. "I will be needing a thorough explanation to even understand. How did you change a spirit so easily?"

"It wasn't 'easily'" Sarya said, doing air quotations. "I just did it understanding the Fade spirits are very malleable entities, so long as you understand their existence is not fixed. Now, I doubt the same can be done with a spirit too ingrained into their role and possessing enough power like a Pride. Regardless, I would have thought you mages would have dealt with things this way before"

"Circle and Chantry teachings make things harder" Brianna said, "If spirits are what we perceive them to be, it's no wonder most people only see demons"

Serana looked at the now closed off Veil Tear; there were still strong traces of ambient magic. "You know, I think this would be a great place for the fast travel system. The energy would flow better here than in other places of the keep, I reckon."

"Ahhh good point, mom" The youngest daughter filed that away for later. "Now, I believe we should go speak with a centuries old mage"

"Yes" Alistair nodded firmly with an edge to his tone. "I very much would like to know why Sophia allowed the summoning of demons"

"You're just not going to let that go aren't you...?"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

The rest of their journey throughout the keep was uneventful; the Veil stable once more meant no more demons and maddened spirits. The only things they had to concern themselves over were the magical defenses left in place, most likely by Avernus, which the mages of their group were carefully dismantling every time they neared one.

They reached the great bridge that connected to the other area of the keep; a few couldn't help but stop and take in the sight. "Ahhh look at this place" Miara smiled, appreciating the natural beauty of the mountains. "Always said a good fortress needs good scenery to match"

Sofie whistled as she smiled; "Reminds me of those old forts back home." Beside her Leli closed her eyes taking a deep breath with the wind flowing around them.

"That breeze feels nice;" Gin murmured garnering a nod from Theron.

Marcus looked back to the group; "Keep focused." He turned to Neria; "How do we spot any arcane traps?"

At that the young thought for a moment before placing her hand on the bridge. Ever so gently she let a pulse of magical energy flow outward ahead of them. Before their eyes several sigils begun to glow in varying colors. "Avernus wasn't playing around was he?" Bri quipped with a cocked brow.

"How do we cross that?" Theron asked out loud; "Would it destroy the bridge?"

"No but would hurt one of us in a nasty fashion." Miara mused as she moved ahead of the group near a sigil. She stopped just shy of it; "Thankfully not pressure sensitive."

"I barely heard any steps from you." Sten remarked in his monotone.

"Years of stealth training make it hard for most to hear me." The dunmer spoke casually, but also impressed Sten could hear her steps. "We're going likely have to ignite these to get across." She walked back with lightning buzzing in her hands; "everyone get a good distance back. And cover your ears, this might be loud" Everyone followed her order as went back near the door to the fortress.

The energy discharged from her hands in a long guided stream through the ground, swiftly traveling over the bridge from end to end. Along its path, all the sigil traps lit up brightly and detonated in quick succession. The bridge trembled as blasts of arcane energy blazed over it in violent bursts of light, their power crackling and leaving the air hissing.

She was not kidding, it had been very loud.

"Ugh, curse my good hearing" Theron never thought he'd found himself saying that as he tenderly rubbed his pointy ears. Neria, Sarya, and Gin were not spared either as they did the same.

Marcus massaged his eyes, having made the mistake of watching the blasts take place and witnessed the glare. He shook his head as if to dispel the black spots hanging on his vision. "I can never make up my mind on magic. It always sounds very useful, but now every experience I have with it involves it trying to kill me at every opportunity..."

"I think it balances out all the times our magic has helped this party" Brianna pointed out.

"Heh won't deny that" The Cousland watched Miara inspecting the bridge again, making sure there weren't any remaining traps. A thumbs up from her indicated it was safe to cross, so the noble born warrior motioned for the others to follow him. "I cannot help but wonder what this Avernus has been doing for so long"

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

Crossing the bridge the group entered the tower. While nearly most of the furnishings were either broken or in disrepair, the tower was in remarkable good condition. However the mages of the group went still; "Oh there is a mage here." Brianna gripped her staff; "Can you feel it?" She turned to Neria who nodded.

"To live for nearly two centuries you wouldn't be weak." Miara digressed as they explored the few rooms as they ascended upwards. They kept to caution after Alistair accidentally tripped a fire sigil that was in a spare room with modest supplies.

Marcus and Miara got him out just in time before the entire room exploded in flames. Sarya and Serana were quick to douse the flames with frost. "I assume stealth training was skipped when you became a Templar?" Morri drawled earning an eye roll from the senior Warden.

Steadily they reached the top to a large room that reminded some of a laboratory. Various jars and potions were strewn on tables, shelves next to old books and tomes. Miara took note of the dry blood on the floor before her red eyes when to a small upper room with no wall. More potions and books laid about as an elderly man, adorned in old Warden Mage's robes, stood before them. "How were you able to reverse my work and repair the Veil?" His voice was deep and aged; the years had taken its toll, with pure shock in his tone. They all recognized him from the visions. "You even slew the demon in Sophia."

"Avernus..." Marcus spoke up with awe. The spirit was right, he was actually still alive…

"Impossible!" Neria came beside the Cousland; "How did you survive for two hundred years?!"

"The Chantry fears what we can do" The ancient mage spoke, his old wizened voice filled with contempt. "They know not what we can achieve, once we pour our minds into it"

"I'm sure the blood sacrifices helped" Serana said, sniffing the air in the room. Oh yes, this place reeked of blood magic. "Absorbing other's lifeforce is a good way to extend your own life"

"Blood sacrifices?!" Alistair exclaimed in outrage, a sentiment shared by many in the group.

"You... are quick to deduce my craft" He said to the vampire, rather surprised. The mage's features softened, he looked a bit guilty. "I will not deny my dabbling in the blood arts allowed me to live for so long. But I never did this out of selfish reason" He sighed, "But I see the judgement in your faces"

"Hard not to" Brianna scoffed, "The only people in this place you could have taken blood from were your fellow Wardens who survived" She vaguely gestured at the room. "I see no one else here but yourself"

"My comrades were already at death's door, when I used their blood to extend my own" He said, there was still respect in his voice for his brothers and sisters of the order. "Experimentation was needed, to further my research"

"You experimented on your own brethren in the order?" Theron snapped with this disgust. "All so you could live longer"

"Spare me your sanctimonious attitude, dalish" The elder mage cross his arms, directing a glare at the elf. "The work of centuries has been placed into my research for the benefit of the Warden order"

Neria shook her head in disapproval, "The ends justify the means, then?"

"We are Wardens, girl, or are you so new into the order that you've yet to experience the kind of sacrifices we have to do?" His words were like those of a harsh teacher, but soon his tone morphed to a soft nostalgic one. "I envy you, in part, to still be able to believe your hands can remain clean in this line of duty" He soon pushed aside the brief moment of sentimentality. "Condemn me all you like, my work speaks for itself does it not? Here I am, two centuries later, the Taint has not claimed me yet"

That... was true. If he had spent centuries a Warden, then forget about ghoulification, the man before them should either had died many years ago, or become a full Darkspawn by now.

"You don't hear the Calling?" Alistair whispered in astonishment.

"Hear it? Young man... I feel it every single day in my dreams. I may have pushed the corruption back, but my will is the only thing that keeps me from answering the Calling" He did not speak with despair, but rather a grim acceptance of his fate being inevitable one day, regardless of all he achieved. "And yet somehow, my dreams have gotten worse, I have never felt the Calling as strongly as I do now. Tell me, are my suspicions true, is there a Blight going?"

"There is." Gin spoke up; "though with Ferelden almost ready to go to a civil war, people are ignoring it."

At that the ancient mage shook his head; "I see much hasn't really changed in two hundred years." He turned his gaze to Miara and Sarya; "And I had wondered when Tamriel would come to these lands..."

His words sparked shock in many while the Dovahkiin cocked a brow; "I wondered why you did not react to me and my daughter's appearance."

"We knew of Tamriel?!" Brianna exclaimed as she came up beside Marcus and Neria.

"Sadly no, I only learned of it by traversing far beyond the Fade. With my long years of seclusion I spent much on my research but also meditations within the Fade. Yet, through the centuries I felt something... Something beyond the realm of dreams. Through my years of persistence I found a way to escape the Fade... And discovered realms no words can explain. Till I encountered a member of your elven kind. A Dunmer whom I conversed with for quite some time before we parted. He was curious of my lands as I was of his, I never saw him again after that."

Sarya felt the hairs on her neck stand, "Did he offer his name?"

"Divayth Fyr,"

It had to be magic, that was the only explanation as to how Sarya cleared the distance between herself and the old mage so quickly, grabbing his shoulders to the point of shaking him.

"You met Master Fyr?!" Her red eyes were wide, had they been outside, her voice would have echoed through the mountains. "What did he tell you?! Did he say where he was going?!"

"C-Child, please!" Avernus grunted as he made her let go. "I barely met the man in passing; I have no clue of where he is"

Sarya grew extremely disappointed, her gaze downcast as she sighed. "Of course. Thinking on it more, you must have met him a long time ago rather than recently"

"You lose track of time after you live for so long, but I can tell you that was much over a century ago"

Neria leaned in to Miara and whispered, "Who's Divayth Fyr?"

"Old powerful mage. Long story, tell you later" Miara whispered back.

"If we could get things back on tract" Alistair spoke, the volume on his voice rising up. "We have other questions; why did the Wardens rise up against a king? Our Order doesn't take sides, and certainly doesn't stage rebellions"

"I-I would very much like to know that too, Ser mage" Levi stepped forth, a touch nervous. "I'm Levi Dryden. Sophia's my great-great-great grandmother"

"Ahhhh, you're a Dryden then, how the cosmos have a sense of humor!" Amusement rang in his voice as recognition shone in Avernus' eyes. "You finally wandered through the mist; I knew you'd hear my call"

Confused looks were exchanged, "Your call?" Leliana asked.

"Indeed. You remember, don't you lad" The ancient mage nodded to the man, "when you were a child, and you wandered through the tunnels under the Peak one time. I felt you, I called you through your dreams to seek out the Peak, to finally bring deliverance to this place" He looked at his companions, "And you have done very well"

"You haven't answered our question" Marcus pointed out, "The Dryden's name has been dragged through the dirt for generations after what Sophia did. Levi came here seeking answers, something that would clear their name"

"We saw those... visions" Levi said, "My ancestor, the other Wardens; they all said King Arland was a tyrant. Was that true?"

Genuine rage and disgust was evident his features as his expression twisted, no doubt remembering the king in question. "He was a despot who ruled with fear and poison! Ferelden suffered under his rule!" He slammed his hand on his table in front of him as he sighed; "Before joining the Wardens Sophia was Arlessa and cousin to Arland. Both held claim to the throne but the court chose Arland for his age, and presumed he would easy to control. Only Sophia saw the monster hiding within that boy. In the years of his rule he had begun slaughtering anyone who defied him. From peasant to nobles, he butchered countless families. Arl Ruahn and his entire family were slaughter, as were several members of the Couslands who defied him".

"My family were involved as well?" Avernus peered to Marcus who spoke up, surprise clear in his features.

"Ahhh so you're a Cousland, I am glad to know at least your family survived. But is nothing remembered during of that time?"

Brianna shook her head; "Nearly most of the documents of that time were lost, the war of succession that came upon Arland's death was very chaotic, a whole decade of infighting erased a lot of records. The only thing never forgotten was the Wardens' rebellion against Arland and their exile from Ferelden. It was only in recent years were they brought back by the late King Maric." Her shoulders slumped; "But a lot has happened since then."

"I can only imagine by your grim expressions." Another sigh escaped the old mage before looking back to Levi; "I assume you came for something that will help you absolve your family, then"

"Is there anything to clear Sophia and my family's name? This could even help the Wardens knowing all of this."

By the gaze from Avernus, he only bore sad news; "I am afraid the only one left who knows the truth is the man before you. Time and Arland has likely destroyed anything that would have told the truth you seek. I am truly sorry lad."

Levi's shoulders sagged, his head hanging in defeat. "I had hoped there could be something, anything... But I guess you were right before, I'm not going to clear my family's name by digging in the past. All we can do now is work for the future" He took a deep breath, slowly letting it all out. "We've come this far, ain't no other choice but to keep moving forward"

Various amongst their party nodding in approval, finding wisdom in his words.

"I guess all that's left" Alistair said, crossing his arms and pointedly looking at Avernus, "is to decided what to do with him"

The old mage merely raised a brow at the younger Warden, not feeling intimated by the threatening tone in his voice. "You want me to answer for my 'crimes', lad?"

"You called upon demons" The former Templar raised his hand the moment Sarya looked like she was about to argue, "You experimented on your fellow Wardens"

Neria found herself agreeing, "Those are serious crimes he must answer for"

Things were getting heated, Leliana's gaze shifted from Warden to Warden before settling Marcus. The noble caught her pleading look and could do naught but shrug. "This is a Warden matter; I have no say in this"

They turned to the others to see their opinion on the matter. Gin scratched his head, unsure on how to reply. "I dunno, I mean... his circumstances back then weren't the best. Desperation can make people do anything"

"He still did foul things to his comrades, all for his own ends" Theron firmly said.

"His 'own ends' as you call them were for the benefits of the Wardens" Brianna argued back, resting a hand on her hip. "Think of what he learnt"

The elven mage shook her head, "Bri, you're letting that Tamrielic outlook on magic cloud your judgement too much. You're ignoring his crimes"

Sarya let out a sound of indignation, followed by muttering under her breath in dunmeri. Morrigan didn't understand it, but she imagined the dunmer shared her own exasperation at those naive words.

"I'm choosing to see what _you_ all are ignoring" The Amell banged her staff on the ground in defiance. "Look at him! Two centuries old, two centuries of bearing the Taint, yet here he is!" She softly shook her head. "Don't you see what this means for us, for every Warden who will inevitably die from the Taint one day?"

"But how he did-"

Brianna interrupted her longtime friend; "Yes it was reprehensible. But what he achieved, being able to resist the Taint! I for one would prefer staying alive longer than thirty damn years!"

When Theron heard of that horrifying truth from Alistair, next to the difficulty of having children. He felt a hot knife dig into his heart. Not possibly being able to spend all of his life with Merrill... to have a family with her. But still; "Should we ignore what he's done?"

"No, but we don't ignore all the work he has amassed for two centuries."

"This was always meant for the Wardens." Avernus expressed with a steely gaze; "My research was always to find methods to not only strengthen us, but to keep good Wardens alive much longer. Not to the lengths I have gone, but at least enough to allow Wardens to have a more semi-full life. We lose far too many good warriors and mages thanks to that blasted Taint."

A long sigh escaped Alistair as he ran his hand through his hair. "Right or wrong." He looked over to Gin; "His work could help the wardens in the long run."

Sofie grunted as she crossed her arms beside Sten who did the same. Miara and Serana spoke not a word as they watch their young friends. A low whimper came from both Loke and Bran who looked at everyone.

"...Very well" The former Templar finally decided after what felt like an eternity of silence. "Like it or not, Avernus' research could spare many Wardens' lives before their time" It didn't sit completely right with him. But Alistair remembered all too well how Duncan told him he recently had started feeling his dreams becoming more frequent, that it might be the start of his Calling.

It chilled Alistair to the core, thinking the man who had given him everything would just disappear from his life to meet his end at the Deep Roads. He thought of the lives that been drafted into the order. Brianna and Neria, still very young, of Gin who had family in Denerim, of Theron who wanted nothing more than to return to his clan one day.

They were here, risking their lives to save Ferelden, and yet being a Warden demanded of them a very short life.

It didn't seem very fair in Alistair's mind.

"But no more unethical experiments" He said firmly to the ancient mage.

"I'll dedicate the time I have left to improve the Wardens' life expectancy" He gave the Wardens a grateful nod for sparing him. "And if my research is right, I may actually yet find a way to decrease the Joining's mortality rates"

"Might even lead to the day Wardens don't need to keep it secret anymore" Brianna optimistically pointed out. Jory and Daveth's deaths were a tragedy, there had to be a better way.

"So..." Levi, feeling rather out of his depth once again, awkwardly stood to the side, having watched these tense events unfold. "I guess that's it then. Soldier's Peek is yours"

Marcus let out a soft chuckle, "Not yet my friend. We have quite the work ahead of us to make sure this place can accommodate us"

Sarya clapped her hands eagerly, "I'll start right away on installing the fast travel system! Would you like to see Avernus?"

"I never say no to studying magic" The old mage pleasantly said as he followed after her.

Miara sighed as she came to Levi; "What will you do?"

"Have a lot of thinking to do. But for now I guess I can offer some help cleaning this place up. I know good people who are loyal to the Wardens and can be discreet."

A grateful nod came from Alistair; "Appreciate that, once the Blight is done along with dealing with Loghain I can send a message to Weisshaupt. Might be able to get this place back to its old purpose."

"I'd say it already has" Miara smiled.

This fortress now belonged to the Wardens once more, and from here they would pour all of their efforts to stop the Blight.

* * *

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

* * *

 _ **Enjoy your time at the Peak?**_


	19. Respite at the Peak

**Disclaimer:** We do not own Elder Scrolls or Dragon age Series

 **Co-Author and Beta** : Etheral-23

 **Respite at the Peak**

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

Avernus had studied magic all throughout his long, long life; he had delved further than any mage in Thedas, reached further into realms beyond the Fade. Witnessed creatures that escaped the Chantry's limited perception on the nature of the arcane. And uncovered magical secrets that even the magisters of Tevinter would kill to possess.

So one could believe when, upon looking at that young, energetic dunmeri mage, work on that so called 'fast travel system' of hers, marveling at the intricacies of spells and bounded fields being set up, and interlocked with each other in a seamless manner, he;

"I have no idea what she's doing"

"Oh good" The young Amell mage droned, tilting her head ever so slowly with a lost gaze. "I was feeling bad thinking I was the only one..."

"I have never seen or heard of such a thing from mother, nor her tomes." Morrigan remarked as she leaned against a pillar watching and taking in every detail of whatever Sarya was making. "You have been at this since yesterday."

After clearing Soldier's Peak of demons and undead the youngest daughter of Miara and Serana had begun her work on the Runic Travel System or Fast Travel System as the dunmer kept insisting. Having summoned Butler for the necessary supplies she began her work. She wasn't the only one as the others were all doing something around the Peak to clean it up. Currently only the four Thedosian mages had stayed around Sarya to watch her work.

Avernus rubbed his old chin as he paid close attention to the symbols being etched onto the floor; "I've seen some of those markings when traversing outside the Fade in my dreams, but never had to time to study them. The denizens of those worlds were not very courteous."

"Nearly all Daedra are," Sarya expressed, not looking away; "There are very few places in Oblivion where you won't be outright attacked. I'll show you around Moonshadow when I'm not busy. As for this writing, this is the Daedric Alphabet; its words hold strong ties to magic. Especially to conjuration."

Neria gripped her staff holding it close; "Thedas has tried teleportation for centuries. It never has worked."

"Ah, but your magic has never been truly cultivated and nurtured like it has in Tamriel."

"As much as I'd rather not agree with the indoctrinated circle mages;" Morrigan ignored the indignant responses from Brianna and Neria; "Teleportation still seems rather impossible."

"Why?" Sarya asked as she casted an array of arcane circles over a pedestal upon which laid a large symmetrically cut crystal, half of the arcane sigils rotation in one direction while the other one in the opposite.

Morrigan paused at the question as though taken aback by its absurdity. "Because you can't breach the dimensional walls just like that. And the other alternative is transferring all the particles of your body over a distance... which very much would involve splitting yourself apart, and only by some incredibly fortuitous you would end missing just a limb"

"And that's the better outcome" Neria absently commented as she looked over the large map of Ferelden that Sarya had set up next to the pedestal.

"Opening a bridge between a sub-dimensional area to connect two points is possible. You just need to find the right frequency at which the atomos holding reality together are moving so you can open a fissure and reduce the distance between yourself and your targeted area, so you don't end up accidentally splattering yourself in a different dimension"

"And I'm no longer able of following this conversation" Brianna drawled, feeling her temples hurt slightly.

"But a more stable way of teleporting is to create a beacon, something that works a link between designated areas that enable a much more accessible means of teleportation."

The elder mage of the group scratched his head; "Been a long time since I have felt out of my depth in the field of magic."

"Makes you really wonder how far behind Thedas is in the Arcane compared to Tamriel." Brianna mused as she watched on. "By the way, can we start my training soon?" The young Amell cocked her head.

"Huh?" A surprised look came from Neria who turned her head to her friend.

"Goes without saying." Sarya glanced back with a wink; "But also be sure to take my mother's lessons as well. You got a lot of growing to do Bri." The telvanni paused; "Offer is open to the rest of you if you'd like some Tamrielic arcane studies."

"Am I missing something?" Neria looked between her friend and her Dunmeri cousin.

Avernus let out a soft chuckle; "Perhaps if I was a century or two younger child. I know I have only a few years left before my time ends. I am certain these young ladies would be happy to indulge and harness more knowledge."

"T'is be only foolish in not wanting to learn more magic;" Morrigan slowly smiled; "And there is so much your lands can offer."

"That's the spirit Morri!"

Bri peered over to Neria; "Well?"

"Um, well Miara said she is going to help me learn how to use my Arcane Warrior skills. Including physical training in the sword." The young elves muttered quietly; "And feel like I don't have a say in it."

"You don't." Sarya quipped; "Mom really wants to learn what all can be done with those skills you've gained. So like it or not, your her student." A low whine came from Surana; "Oh won't be that bad! Least you won't be like Dorthe who wanted to learn the smithing trade from mom, outright tormented that poor girl."

Once more, they showed no reaction at the mention of a name of a person they did not know. Sarya often did that, talk about strangers to them as though they knew who they were. But it was just another one of the things they had learnt to tune out when in the prodigious mage's company.

"Just a bit mooooooore, and..." The sigils around the crystal disappeared, and this one acquired a faint glow. Right next to the pedestal, different dots of light suddenly appeared upon different regions of Ferelden. Namely Denerim and the Brecilian forest. "There we go! The system is now fully functional"

"I know we've been debating against the possibility of teleportation working" Neria muttered to herself. "But Sarya seems so sure about it working, and well, given what we've seen her do..."

"I still carry my doubts" Morrigan staunchly held her opinion regarding this arcane phenomena.

"Ohhhh need some proof?" The grin on Sarya's face could outshine the sun, and it was positively unnerving. "I can take you for a trip if that's the case!"

The three young women shared a confused and very concerned look.

Avernus, wise enough to know he shouldn't get involved in this, slowly backed away. "I think I better sit this one out. At my age and my condition you don't know what to expect. I'll just return to my workshop"

"I'll bring you some books back from the Arcanaeum!" Sarya kept her smile

"Arcanaeum?" The three ladies chorused. There question was unanswered as they and Sarya were engulfed by blue light that came from the pedestal and vanished in a blinked.

Avernus's jaw laxed as he dropped his staff.

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

Before Neria, Brianna, and Morrigan knew what had happened they now stood on a long stone bridge connected an enormous gate of a massive stone building. Sarya cheered as she spread out her hands; "Welcome to Tamriel!"

 **COLD!**

That was the first thing that struck the Thedosian mages, hugging themselves while a blast of arctic winds hit their bodies. "Well, Skyrim to be more precise. What do you think!?" The dunmer completely unaffected by the frigid temperatures as she placed her hands on her hips; "What do think of teleportation now Miss Doubters?"

"IT'S BLOODY FREEZING!" All three yelled back.

"Ah, you get used to it. I was born in Skyrim, don't bother me any." Sarya smiled brightly.

"I thought I heard some noise at the gate." A sultry feminine voice made the Telvanni turn and waved cheerfully at the towering figure dressed in black and red mage robes approached near the gate; "Brought some more strays to the college?"

"Faralda! It's been ages!"

The Altmer deadpanned; "It's just been weeks." Like any elf save the Orc or Thedosian variety, the high she-elf scholar of the destruction school looked as ageless and beautiful as she did when Miara had first met her decades prior. The only difference was her hair had grown out some and had long since changed out of her twin-ponytails style.

"Ah yeah. Back when I brought What's-Her-Name"

"Adalora" Faralda replied, her voice carrying a tinge of irritation.

"That's right!" The Telvanni mage snapped her fingers as she remembered. "So how's she been settling in?"

"Fairly well once she stopped screaming at... everything really. I think there was too much of a culture shock for her"

"Hah! I bet"

"AHHH MY NIPPLES!" The scantily clad swamp witch was immensely regretting her choice of attire.

"She didn't scream THAT" The altmer acknowledged.

"WHERE ARE WE?!" Neria shrieked out in a fright. The sudden shock of a completely new environment, plus the ungodly wave of cold that assaulted their lithe frames, was too much to handle all at once.

"S-K-Y-R-I-M" Sarya slowly intoned. "Come on Neria, pay attention"

"I believe the Pale's typical weather is too much for them to handle, Sarya" Faralda pointed out boredly, as though the situation before her barely warranted even a pinch of interest on her part.

"Hmm." the young dunmer cocked her head; "guess they're not ones for the cold." she whistled; "you three got some impressive nipples."

"Can we get inside the bloody building now!?" A flustered shivering Morrigan shouted back.

"I suppose... Welcome to the college of Winterhold." Faralda shrugged as she opened the gates.

 **XxX ~ Soldier's Peak ~ XxX**

Marcus let out a grunt as he and Sofie, alongside Miara, Serana, Sten, and Leliana were taking out the rotten furniture from the Peak. Yesterday after they had taken all the corpses outside, and had buried them all in proper graves; so now had begun the renovation and cleaning of the old fortress. Clearing the former dorm, they decided to convert it into a training area. And with the multiple rooms available, everyone could have their own place for themselves. With just them Marcus knew it would take some time, but thankfully (much to Sten's ire and Leli's wariness) Miara and Serana summoned several Daedra to assist cleaning the place out. Who were currently being ordered around by Butler as he made several articles of new furniture appear with a snap of his fingers.

The former Bard stared at the Daedra who was the size of a Thedas elf with the upper body of a bald yellow-skinned man with long horns, and furry lower half with hooves and a tail. "W-what were they called again?"

"Herne," Serana addressed dryly as she easily picked up a broken bed with ease. "And before you ask for the twentieth time they will not attack you."

"I could have summoned Scamps but I'd be arguing with them and they like to set things on fire." Miara droned out.

The Qunari let out an irritated grunt, yet still carried on his task, holding up a large pile of broken wood under each like they weighted nothing, taking them outside so they could later be properly disposed of in a fire.

"Your use of demons for menial tasks is disturbing" Leliana commented.

"It's efficient, that's what it is" The vampire corrected. "This place requires a lot of work. The structure is intact for the most part, but a lot of the furniture needs replacing. Not to mention the years of dust and mold gathering up in the rooms, can't have the party sleep there until we clean them. And that's not even going into the vermin that must be living inside the walls" She suddenly grew thoughtful, "Hmm, speaking of which, we'll need something to clear them out"

Putting her fingers to her lips, she let out a sharp whistle.

Leliana jumped back with a fright and a small shriek as from the shadows emerged two nightmarish creatures. They were canines, but looked as if they were the result of a necromancer bringing back a pair of corpses. Their skin was black and rotten, exposing dark muscle tissue. Their snouts lacked a nose, as there was no cartilage left in that area, and they possessed rows of very long, sharp and twisted fangs. The creatures' eyes were a shining baleful red, only adding to their unnatural look.

Serana kneeled down, patting her thighs as she called the creatures as one would a puppy. "CuSith, Garmr, come here boys, come here!"

To Miara and Sofie's mirth (and Leliana's disgust), the horrifying hounds run towards her, waggling their short tails (or what remained of them), and nuzzled close to their master who cooed happily at the tongue kisses they were showering her with.

The bard fought hard to keep her breakfast inside her stomach.

"Ohhh I missed you, did you miss me?" Serana scratched the back of their ears, uncaring she was touching twisted bare muscle. "I need you guys to scour these place for mice, hmm, can you do that?"

Both undead hounds barked in an unnatural manner before running down the halls. Serana smiled; "They will deal with the rodents."

"What were those?!" Leliana screeched out.

"My family's dogs." The Vampire remarked casually; "Mother doesn't give them as much exercise as they need."

"Babette or those others living with Valerica keep them busy enough." Miara waved it off.

Marcus and Leliana observe the undead hounds running off through the halls. "CuSith and Garmr," Sofie spoke up with a sigh; "Nothing to fear from them. And I've been around them since I was a little girl, your fine."

"Your childhood had to be very...Unique." Marcus remarked slowly.

"You have no idea." The Nordic woman spoke with both mirth and exasperation. As if they had not even scratched the surface of what Sofie had lived through after being adopted.

Reigning in her thoughts and everything the chantry taught her, Leliana gazed over to Butler and eyed the new furniture the Herne were moving about; "Where did you have all that?"

"Oh I made those" Miara explained.

The young noble did a double take, "ALL of them?"

"There was a time in my life in which I had 'retired' from adventuring if I recall telling you once. I had to... keep myself busy"

"I'll say" Sofie droned, "If she wasn't making weapons, she was crafting an entire mansion's worth of furniture. Not even selling most of them could clear enough room in the house to move around without bumping into something."

"The weapons were even worse..." The vampire pinched her nose, the memories along were capable of bringing a headache. "Once she could no longer outfit the local guard, you know, on account of having made too many weapons. We started selling them to the Legion and fighter's guilds"

"The ones I couldn't sell I just dumped inside old ruins" The dunmer said with a smile, finding it humorous even after all these years. "For new adventurers to pick up"

"Couldn't you just... NOT made so many things?"

Miara looked offended, "Couldn't you just NOT breath? That's the measure of what you're asking me"

"Mother, just short of a literal sense, cannot live without crafting stuff"

The Cousland and lay-sister peered to one another as they took out the rotten items outside. Putting them in a pile a grunt came from Odahviing; "A Dovah reduced to such a thing."

"Oh hush zeymah!" Miara snarked back. Dropping a rotten table cabinet. She looked to the lone Qunari of the group who finished making a pile for the ruby dragon to burn. "I know Aldmeri beds are a little gaudy but best I can give you since you're near their height."

A grunt came from the tall man; "I care little over designs."

"I know."

"Um," Leliana spoke up; "How tall are these Altmer?"

"To put in a perspective." Serana answered; "Sten is roughly the height of an Altmer woman. A high elf man is taller."

"Oh" Marcus let out a simple noise, but it carried plenty of surprise in his tone. "And would you say you're tall for a qunari, Sten?"

"Moderately for one bred for the antaam"

"Ah" The noble intoned in understanding. "I see..." Those high elves had a rather literal name for their race it seems.

Leliana just couldn't help but imagine them, tall, golden skinned elves. That had to be a sight for sure. Oh she could only wonder at what an experience would be, talking with a very long lived elf, they surely had a lot of wisdom to share.

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

Alistair whistled as he took in the sight of the vault's contents. Rows of blades, spears, daggers, maces, bows and shields. Full sets of Warden armor resting on racks. He could pretty much smell the history here, on the items wielded by their long gone brothers and sisters of the order.

He felt a touch humbled, securing their fortress once more, retaking their ancient vigil once more within these halls. These weapons, these very walls, were an old treasure of the Wardens, once more put to use against the Darkspawn hordes.

"What a dump"

His elven companions, however, had other thoughts, as Gin's crass words made clear.

"Most of these weapons and armors are far too rusted" Theron observed, "They're beyond use. It'd be simpler to forge new gear"

As much as Alistair wanted to protest both were right. "Guess this vault wasn't as air tight as it could have been." The former Templar lamented with a long sigh.

"Not all bad, Miara said she will be outfitting us with new gear. She might want to use some of this." Gin gestured to the armor and weapons around them.

The former Templar grunted; "If anything it would have to be the weapons. The silverite can do the most harm to the Darkspawn."

"See, a bright side."

"Considering you're usually the downer of our little company of weirdos I'm surprised your being this positive."

"Eh," the rogue elf shrugged; "We'll likely be dead at the end of this anyways."

"That's more like it."

While the two conversed Theron remained relatively silent as he roamed through the large vault. For the most part he had been mostly quiet since accompanying the Wardens from the forest. And kept some distance from the humans in their group.

Theron was not the most approachable person. Even the words he exchanged with Neria and Gin were cordial at best whenever they mingled. It was clear he felt more comfortable around fellow elves. The biggest exception being Sarya, sweet Mythal every word that came out of her mouth seemed to get a rise out of the dalish. And in the time they've gotten to know Sarya they found out she really thought very highly of herself. And whether intentionally or not, she would end up insulting people.

Theron also stayed clear of the humans of their party. And would only converse with them whenever they as a group were discussing things. He didn't glare at them with outright hostility, or tried to pick up a fight for that matter, but it was clear he'd rather be involved with them as little as possible.

Theron disliked humans that much he made clear in the ruins during the mess with Zathrian. And honestly, Gin could not blame him. Oh sure, he directed his anger towards the actual humans who abused elves, and he had met his fair number of good humans. But the sad truth was that for every human who treated elves fairly, there were ten more that were outright hostile to them, for every one of those, there were a hundred more who did not even spare a glance to the elves living in squalor. It was just how 'things were' for them.

Alistair was not so ignorant as to not see it either. Theron was dalish through and through, they knew how to hold a grudge. For that reason, the senior Warden saw the need to make Theron feel welcomed and comfortable around them. As the Wardens who took him in had made him feel welcome.

The former Templar was reminded of the Dalish elf he had met when he had become a Warden. He always kept to himself and rarely spoke to anyone save Duncan. Of course he wasn't his mentor by any stretch so was going by his gut in how to help his fellow Wardens. A small sigh came from Alistair as he observed Theron roaming around quietly.

"Give him time," Gin remarked beside him as he looked around; "He knows you and the other humans aren't bad. But-"

"Not easy opening up to humans when said race done so much crap to your own." Gin clicked his tongue with a thumbs up. "Are you and Neria alright being around us?"

"You're good people. Of course we are" The city elf said with a friendly smile. "Except Morrigan. Maker she's such a bitch..."

"Right?!" Alistair exclaimed, rolling his eyes with utter exasperation. "Ohhh sweet Andraste that woman has all the charm of a viper"

Gin let out a soft laugh, "I'll be honest with you Alistair you're my favorite Shem. Not anyone can get as snarky as I can"

"I knew my peerless wit would charm you eventually"

"Don't tell the others though; they'll be jealous of what we have"

"Is it love for inane barter?" Theron's deadpanning voice came from the other side of the room. They saw him testing an old bow that hadn't completely decayed. "You two seem quite adept at it instead of working"

"Heh, heard us huh?" Alistair shrugged, "I guess dalish ears are not to be underestimated"

"You weren't being quiet. AT ALL"

Alistair had the decency to look sheepish as he chuckled weakly; "Sorry."

Theron eyed him for a moment before putting down the bow; "Out of all the groups amongst of shems, the Wardens are the only ones the Dalish can respect. Out of everyone, they show respect and kindness to the Elvhen. I hold them in high esteem." He paused; "Just never thought I be a part of it, and what it is currently going through."

"It is a mess with the shem lords mucking things up." Gin admits.

A grunt came from Alistair "Hopefully we can sort this mess all out before the Archdemon decides to attack with its army."

"We can hope." Theron remarked before stopping to look at the wall; "Alistair." The man in question peered to the Dalish warrior; "Do Warden Vaults have secret walls?"

That made the young man blink as he thought for a moment; "I think Duncan said once a few do, but to hide items a great importance."

The elven warrior points to the wall; "That explains the draft." At that Gin and Alistair came over to Theron as they neared the wall. "Do you know if there is anything of value here?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." The human man shrugged as he and the other two begun to feel the wall; "Might be a button or something around here. Have a look."

"A mountain of gold and jewels would be nice though." Gin quipped as he kept a keen eye to every part of the room. "Could get something for my dad and Shianni."

Running a hand over the underside of a shelve; Alistair's finger felt a small knob that stood out from the wall's bricks. Pushing it slightly, it pressed into the wall where they all heard a clicking sound. Old contraptions suddenly began moving behind the wall, a perfectly rectangular section sink into the floor, revealing a secret chamber hidden inside the vault.

They were greeted with the sight of three items. One was a large one handed blade; it lacked any special ornaments or any type of stylized feature that would give it a more distinct look. The design was simple, efficient, but the highly balanced and symmetrical look clearly pointed at the blade being dwarven made.

The second item was a staff, and it looked like someone had made it from a fallen three branch. The artifact's branches and main body glowed with sigils running over its frame, emanating a cold frosty mist.

And finally, the last item hidden in the opening was a suit of Warden Armor. But it wasn't the standard issue Warden armor, no; this armor was highly stylized, filled with many accents and decorations, a long waist cloak with multiple layers, curbed pauldrons of glistening metal along with a masterfully carved chest piece. It bore the colors of the Wardens, but there was no mistaking this armor was-

"Dalish" Theron muttered, "That warrior armor is dalish made..."

"These actually look in good condition." Gin muttered beside Theron. Who stares at the armor; "Pol told me Dalish have their unique sigils or markings to define their clan. Those look familiar?"

"The markings and sigils change constantly so the Shems can't figure out which clan is which. So this could have come from anyone." The elven warrior places his hand on the chest plate. "But whoever wore this the Warden's saw as honorable." That much was certain having it stored here with the sword and staff.

Alistair took hold of the sword to give it a look over; "Definitely Dwarven make, can't mistake their style. But nothing else," He brought the blade close to look at it; "Avernus might know something about all these. Like with Sophia's armor these can go back to Weisshaupt."

The Dalish elf looked sharply to the former Templar; "The armor..."

"You want to take it back to the Dalish?" Theron nodded as the human rubbed his chin; "I don't see a problem with that. Hopefully Avernus has a name for the elf who wore that, so your people can remember the person."

Theron was taken aback by the generosity but composed himself with a nod; "Thank you."

The Wardens had treasured this armor for a reason, maybe because they had seen the value of the elf in their ranks who wore it. They had respected him, and his culture, as evidenced by the fact his own gear had been customized to reflect his heritage, and still mark him as one of their own.

A kind gesture, seldom given to the dalish.

Such as the one this band of adventurers had given his clan and Zathrian's. They had shown respect for their culture, concern for their wellbeing beyond the fact that they needed the dalish to fight with them against the Blight.

Hmph, perhaps these Shems were not so bad.

...Except Morrigan, she was a bitch.

 **XxX ~ the next day ~ XxX**

The Peak's forge, situated outside the great fortress, was actually brought back to life very quickly. Its fires blazing with great intensity, every tool necessary for the crafting of weapons and armor arranged neatly on a table, large piles of multiple ingots of varied materials, many of them foreign to Thedas, ready to be used.

Oh it wasn't because the forge had been in relatively good condition even with centuries of not being used. But because Miara had restored it with unbelievable speed and efficiency.

The woman WANTED to forge. And nothing would stop her.

After a long clean up and renovation inside the Peak, the group took a long rest for night. Though a few panicked when Avernus explained Sarya and their three lady mages had vanished at the fast travel platform. After calming everyone down and explained where their daughter likely took the girls; it was a long night of explaining.

As morning rolled in Miara had found the large forge and summoned Butler for all the smithing material she needed. Close by were Marcus and Sten with Bran and Loke roaming around them. The young noble looked over all the ingots, Bone, leathers and cloth Butler had materialized for his mistress. The Dunmer gave a full explanation to the metals unfamiliar to Thedas; from Mythril, Orichalcum, Dwarven (that was an interesting talk), Voidstone, and Rubedite. And quite honestly the young man was in the dark about the material as their Qunari companion who grunted during most of the lecture. But what drew his and Sten's attention most was the ingots that were as black as night.

Sten held up one the ingots while Marcus peered over to Miara who wore smithing clothes and apron; "What was this called again?"

"Ebony," the dunmer smiled as she shifted the burning coals; "Legends say ebony came from the blood of a dead God. Thus why it is the hardest known metal in all of Tamriel."

"Riiiight" Marcus dragged out the reply. Tamriel always seemed to mix legend into fact regarding a lot of subjects. "Hardest known metal you say?

"Yes"

"And you look like you have a good amount of it"

"Some of my best's works have involved ebony" She did not brag, she was merely stating a fact. "The amount I have with me will be enough to make you and Sten armors"

The bronze giant quirked an eyebrow while Marcus' blue eyes widened. "For us?"

"It's only the most logical choice given your roles in a battle" The dunmer said, taking out an ingot and inspecting it, trying to find any imperfection with it. "Sten is a battering ram, he goes first into the enemy lines, soaking up as much damage as he delivers. He'll need better protection. You are a frontline warrior, and our companions rely on you for leadership. It's best to give you both quality gears, it might save your lives"

"Her words ring true" Sten acknowledged. "The quality of the armor I've been using has served me but it is not optimal. And my vitaar can only provide so much protection"

"Ahhh right, your markings" The Cousland said in realization, digging up the knowledge he had on the qunari. "They're a form of... alchemy aren't they? Something made with magic perhaps?"

"Wait" Miara set down the ingot, looking at the visible parts of Sten's torso. Namely the red war paint on him. "That's not just body paint then?"

"Vitaar is poisonous to other races" The qunari explained. "But they have the effect of hardening muscle and enhancing strength on us. It's still not a substitute for armor though"

"Huh. While I'd like to know more about that, let's put it aside for the moment"

The dunmer picked up a paper that held a diagram of armor from the table and handed it to Sten; "Once I get your measurements I'll make that for you." She takes another paper and shows it to Marcus; "What I have in mind for you. Something I picked up from Wade when I visited him."

"That eccentric smith?" Marcus cocked a brow; "Bet that was an interesting conversation."

Miara only smiled; "Well I understand him since I'm a smith myself. And need to try this alchemical potion he gave me that can turn bone into metal while keeping its properties." She murmured to herself as she thought. She could just imagine all the new ways she could make Dragonbone weapons and armor! Maybe even something with Bonemold for her dunmeri people.

The Qunari looked over the paper; "This will suit my purposes well."

"Good, also making an Ebony greatsword for you. I'll make sure everything is properly enchanted as well." Miara beamed.

"This looks like a Vanguard armor design. Strong in the right places while keeping a person able to move." Marcus remarked while petting his hound.

Miara winked; "Will be even better with ebony, Give you a new sword to next to your family's sword. Leave Engram here while at it so I can look it over hun."

Sten let out a grunt before handing back the paper; "Are you certain you can complete all of this in such a short time?"

"Yes, I've worked on things like this since I first learned the trade from my late master. I'll get everything done for everyone that needs new gear. Alistair, Gin, Neria, Bri, they all are getting some new stuff." There was no bragging in her tone, she spoke factly and honestly. And as she has done this for nearly two centuries both warriors gave her a nod.

"Nothing for Leliana or Theron?"

"I trust Varathorn's and Ilen's skills and experience in making what they did for Theron, I'll just keep it maintained. As for Leli's leathers they are quite remarkable. Not sure who made it but they did a good job. I'll just make sure they stay in good condition. Though I might give her some new daggers and bow though."

"Her skill at archery is impressive." Sten remarked.

And that was very high praise considering Sten openly admitted it. Already Miara was thinking on what to make for Leliana's bow. Perhaps mythril would help the draw strength and the material worked especially well with holy enchantments. It would make her arrows burn the Darkspawn with sacred flames once she placed the proper magic on it.

Resuming her task, Miara inspect the ebony ingot. "Looks well enough, let's see how it fares" From a pile of old discarded weapons, Miara picked an iron greatsword and handed it to Sten. "Here; strike it as hard as you can"

The qunari merely looked inquisitively at the ingot before taking the sword, Miara placed the block of black metal over the anvil, setting it right for Sten to strike it.

Raising his sword over his head, Sten did as he was told and brought down the weapon with all his might. Impacting the ingot with a loud metallic ringing. The sound made both hounds and Marcus wince.

The sword snapped in half, its sharp end falling on the snowy ground.

Marcus stared slack jawed at this, even the qunari could not help but look astonished. The sword was old and made of simple iron, that it would dent or perhaps crack was to be expected, but for it to break just like that...

The noble quickly approached the ingot, saw the mark Sten's blow had left upon it and ran his fingers. No indent, no pieces of it chipped away. Just a scratch.

A scratch that is all it had.

"Ahh good" Miara smiled satisfied, as if she had expected this outcome. "Alright, will be using this batch then"

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

Having arrived in Tamriel during the evening; the trio of Thedosian mages were given guest rooms where they quickly leapt into the warm beds for the night. When morning came the girls were in for an immense culture shock as they were introduced to the multitude of diverse races living at the college. From Khajiit of their varying types, a few Argonians, humans, and elves. From children to adults; it was a lot to take in for the former sheltered mages and swamp witch.

But more so for Neria and Brianna who both screeched every time at the meeting of the beastfolk of Tamriel. This brought immense amusement to Sarya who only laughed at them. To the Telvanni's surprise Morrigan kept her composure for the most part save for some wide eyed looks. But she did jump when what she thought was a house cat turned out to be an Alfiq (the clothes on him being a dead giveaway).

Despite the initial shock, this place was... nice, welcoming even. There were no Templars keeping a constant watch on the mages. No sense of dread, oppression or isolation. You were free to go through the gates any time you wanted. Magic was encouraged rather than contained, but guided safely through responsibility and ethics rather than an uncompromising religious doctrine.

This was a far cry from the Circle. And Neria and Brianna loved every minute of it.

A most relieving and intriguing sight that offered peace of mind as well as the promise of knowledge, were the tall walls of the Arcanum. Rows of bookshelves nearly organized by different subjects, from history to arcane knowledge, even fiction. The three mages from Thedas were very much intrigued by what other things they could learn.

It reminded them of the main library in Kinloch Hold, but rather than a wide large room, it extended upwards in several floors containing more bookshelves. Neria almost run towards the first section she could find, her scholarly mind eager to-

"You better treat my books carefully, if I see any piece missing I'll be taking pieces from you"

She was stopped by the harsh and violent words of the Arcanum's librarian. The Thedosian elf fidgeted an apology already on her lips when she saw him. And screamed.

At least Brianna screamed with her, so she wouldn't feel alone. Morrigan however kept a firm hold on her staff.

"Stop screaming!" The spectral visage of the tusked man shouted, effectively silencing the young women.

"W-W-What in..." Brianna could barely form the words, her mind shaken by the sight of the ghost before her.

A passing by student, book in hand and gaze firmly focused on its contents, casually explained. "Oh that's just Urag. He was the librarian in life, and despite everyone's wishes he continues to be so in death" He looked at the orc with exasperation. "You've been dead for nearly thirty years old man, move on already!"

"Never! I don't trust any of the careless spell slingers here to properly take care of the Arcanum!"

A long sigh escaped Sarya; "And both of my mothers and sister knew this surly Orc when he was actually flesh. Both lost count in how many tomes and books they recovered for this stubborn oaf." A long grunt came from the ghost figure.

"You have a spirit loose in this place! You-" Before Neria could keep speaking Sarya covered her mouth.

"The Fade is not connected to Tamriel, as I've explained countless times."

Urag's brow rose; "The Fade? Heard something about that from that Adalora girl you brought here weeks ago. Arch-Mage Onmund and the professors had spent some time learning about that place and where she came from. I gather these three are from this Thedas?"

"Yup." Sarya grinned pointing to each; "Neria Surana, Brianna Amell, and Morrigan. Brought them here to show that teleportation does exist. And what a REAL arcane university looks like."

"From what I have heard from Adalora, this Thedas is severely underwhelming in such fields."

"Um..." Neria spoke up garnering the dunmer's and orc's attention; "You said Adalora right?"

Sarya nodded; "She escaped the circle with some guy named Anders, but he ditched her. My brother saved her from your country's Templars. Brought her here." A teasing look grew on her face; "Wonder if she still wants to jump his bones?"

"Now I know that can't be the same Adalora I'm thinking of" Briana shook her head in disbelief. "The girl I know is a quiet little thing who jumps at her own shadow. Mind you, she did muster up the courage to escape the Circle. But trying to sleep with a man, particularly one she just met?" Now that was pushing it in the Amell's opinion.

"Oh I'm sure it was all very romantic from her perspective" Morrigan derided in a mocking tone. "The dashing knight coming to her rescue. Any spineless woman without a sense of self-respect would immediately spread her legs" Both Circle mages frowned at her, irritated at how callously she was insulting someone she hadn't even met.

"I'll have you know my brother IS a virtuous knight" Sarya sniffed, raising her nose at Morrigan. "He saw a scared woman and gently turned her down"

"And you brought her here" Neria pointed out, "That was very kind of you"

"How thoughtful" The swamp witch drawled, "Do you also spend your days helping kittens down trees too?"

"If she is anything like her brother" A young woman's voice called out, gathering their attention. "I imagine it's because on their way to real problems" There they saw the subject of their conversation, dressed in the College robes and smiling cheerfully, a far cry from her usual disposition that the Circle mages remembered.

For the former circle mages turned wardens, their eyes slowly rose as they saw the blond haired and blued eyed elf girl who waved at Neria and Brianna as she recognized them. Was this the same woman who never smiled even once since all three were little girls? She was never outspoken as Bri, or broken like Keili, but had seemed to live in a state of defeated acceptance regarding her situation. Never in their lives did the two Warden mages think Adalora would ever have the courage to flee the Circle like she did.

But here she was, free and safe from ever being taken by Thedosian Templars ever again.

It was like night and day to Neria. Adalora looked radiant, more alive than she ever had been in the circle. And to see her actually smile...

Quickly the blond elven woman came up to them; "Did you two escape too? Bri I'm not surprised but you Neria?"

Both ladies stared for a moment before Neria find her voice; "We didn't really escape. We became Grey Wardens." The blond elf's ears twitched as she looked surprised.

"It's... complicated;" Briana took over as she gave Adalora a long look over. "You're so... different now."

"You should have seen me when Sarya brought me here." She looked to the Dunmer who grinned back; "I owe you and Oryrn so much."

"Aw~" Sarya giggled; "Least I could do for a fellow mage who refused to be caged like sheep." She glanced to Morrigan; "You have to give her some respect for even trying that Morri."

The Swamp witch only rolled her eyes but said nothing.

"As for my brother..." A smile graced the Telvanni's lip; "You could thank him by having some of his children." Adalora blushed along with both Neria and Bri; "Our mothers would adore you for that and I'd have nieces or nephews to spoil."

"Sarya!" Neria and Brianna both reprimanded.

"I-I doubt that's within the realms of possibility" The blonde elven mage stammered in embarrassment.

"Oh don't sell yourself short! Just because you're one of the many, MANY women whom my brother has saved and become infatuated with him, doesn't mean you don't have a chance!"

"Now I know you were trying to be encouraging" Brianna deadpanned, noting how Adalora's expression slowly dropped. "But you really weren't"

Morrigan, finding the chance to once more cause mischief for her own amusement, smarmily smiled at the Telvanni mage. "Indeed. Why, I bet your dear brother has spoken about her even after she left"

"Not at all!" Sarya cheerfully informed.

Adalora let out a pitiful sound

"Really" Brianna stressed. "STOP talking. BOTH of you" She sent the swamp witch a warning glare.

"Hah!" The barking laugh coming from a cultured voice came from one of the upper floors of the Arcanum. "To tell my student to remain silent is to tell the sun to cease its shine"

The most dragged out and joyful gasp came from Sarya, her eyes lighting in excitement like a child in a candy store, pretty much bouncing on her feet as she balled her fists close to her chest in a display of childish happiness. That voice was intimately familiar to her. "Master Alfe!" She squealed, looking at the upper floor.

There against the railing they saw a dunmer woman leaning against it, with long white hair pulled up in a high ponytail and two large bangs framing the sides of her angular face. Though her expression was one of perfect aristocratic control, her red eyes still managed to show fondness at the other dunmer woman. She wore a tunic made of dark blue clothing that hugged her figure perfectly with an opening that showed a fair amount of her bosom. Her arms were mostly bare if not for the thin pieces of fabric that connected to her wrists, long dark pants tucked into elegant boots with multiple belts, A book was floating before her, but with a flick of her wrist it was sent back to the shelve where it belonged.

"Sarya, my dear" She greeted coolly with a nod of her head.

"Why didn't anybody tell me Master Alfe was here?!" The younger dunmer demanded from the ghostly orc.

"I believe that's because nobody knew..." The orc grunted. And indeed, by the surprised looks and excited whispers of the nearby students, this was news to them as well.

"I foresaw you'd be here today, so I came to visit you but I did not want to make a scene" Before the Thedosian's widening eyes, her body descended from the upper floors, slowly as though she were a leaf in the wind. "I'm accosted by scholars everywhere I go, it's exhausting"

Neria muttered in disbelief to Brianna; "She says she doesn't want to make a scene and then FLOATS of all things to not use the stairs..." Levitation magic was NOT simple, and one just didn't use it for such banal purposes. If she commanded such magic to use it in that fashion, what else could she do?

Alfe chuckled warmly as her student ran up to her wrapping her in a hug which she returned. Her gaze peered to the four from Thedas; "I bid you greetings children of Thedas." Their eyes rose as the Dunmer kept speaking; "I am Alfe Fyr, Magister of House Telvanni. I bid you welcome."

Magister... If Neria's and Brianna's eyes grew any wider Sarya thought they pop out; "Not the type you two are thinking." She quickly remarked after letting go of her teacher.

"So Magisters exist in Thedas?" Alfe cocked her head.

"Indeed;" Morrigan spoke with pure curiosity; "Though it goes without saying Tevinter's Magisters and your House Telvanni are vastly different."

"Hmm." Alfe looked intrigued.

"Very much so!" Sarya happily supplied. "From what I read, the Tevinter magisterium rules their nation, while the mesocratic noble family of the Telvanni only has ownerships over certain areas of Morrowind, but they do not rule the nation, not completely at least. And unlike the Imperium, Morrowind has long since outlawed slavery. Also, lots of backstabbing and political schemes involved"

"So, they're basically just Tevinter but reduced to a singular yet powerful clan, instead of a whole country, sans slavery" Brianna summed up the information.

"That is comforting..." Neria muttered in a tone which indicated she did not feel very comforted at all.

"I tired of the House's politics. Me and my sisters would rather be left alone with our research. Speaking of which" Alfe's red eyes turned to Sarya's. "You finally traveled to Thedas"

"Not surprised you're aware of it. Oh! We met a man who met Master Fyr once!"

"Indeed?" The white haired dunmer raised an elegant eyebrow. "Though I assume he knows not my father's whereabouts"

"Sadly, no. That was centuries ago"

"Figures" The Magister rolled her eyes. "Very well then, I shall be joining you"

That out of the blue statement made the Thedosian mages give pause, "Um, what?" Brianna said.

"I came to college because you're in need of more help than you know. So I shall offer my wisdom to assist you in anyway; and as someone who lived through the Ashblight. My experience should be a benefit to you."

Sarya cocked her head; "We don't even know what the Blight in Thedas actually is."

"All the more reason you could use my help my dearest student."

"Um, excuse me." Neria spoke up; "Are we really going to bring your teacher along? The Darkspawn are dangerous, never mind the turmoil going on in Ferelden."

That got Adalora's attention; "What is going on?"

"A lot;" Brianna summed it up as she spoke to the elven mage on what she has missed since leaving her country.

Alfe gave an amused look to Neria; "You assume I'm going to be joining your battles. I will be staying in your newly acquired Peak."

"...Just how good of a seer is your teacher," Morrigan slowly questioned Sarya peering her way.

The young Dunmer only smiled back.

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

Serana wanted to say she was enjoying the cool breeze of the windy mountain air kissing her face with all the gentleness of a lover, but the truth was that being a vampire, a Volkihar in particular, made her sensations to cold rather numb. She was AWARE of the cold, but it made little to no effect on her.

Standing on the large stone bridge, she looked at the snowy speaks; the white capped trees bellow them and was reminded of Skyrim. Places like this always brought out very nostalgic feelings on her. When she and her beloved would brave through the wilds of the Fatherland and conquer any obstacle in their way.

"Feels like home doesn't it?" Miara's voice soon made itself present, but Serana had felt her long before she even stepped over the bridged.

"Can't deny it" Serana said, turning her gaze to her lover, lifting a brow as she looked at her new gear. "Ahh, going old style I see"

"What can I say" Miara grinned, "It still looks good"

Indeed, the old elven style Spellswords armor dated back to the second era, but it was still a highly efficient design. Hardened black leather made up most of the gear's body, with various segmented plates of armor placed in strategic places. The plates around the stomach area were separated as to allow mobility, the shoulder pads were small as not to limit the arm movement, while the forearms were guarded with layered plates that went from the elbow to the back of her hands.

The belt was fastened together by a belt upon which had long circular emblem carved with a dragon's skull symbol, there were multiple pouches around the belt where she stored her items, such as potions, bombs and other useful pieces of gear. The edges of the leather had a clear aldmeri motif pattern weaved on it, and from the waist fell two long coattails. Her knees were protected with rounded pieces of plate, with other segmented pieces around the area, the pants ending inside two leather boots with metal tips.

The metal was dark, so she had clearly used ebony. And Serana's vampiric gaze could make out the details of arcane lettering carved on the edges for the enchantments. The final piece of the ensemble was an ornately weaved black hood with distinct patters and a face mask, both which were pulled down at the moment, connected to an ankle-length cloak.

"Looks good" Almost anything looked good on her, in Serana's opinion. She chuckled, "And you say I don't protect my chest enough"

"It's a good distraction, I'll admit" Miara said referring to her bare chest area, which showed a bit of her generous bosom.

"Didn't hear you come in" Serana said, she had relied in her nose to be able to tell Miara was approaching. "Enchanted already?"

"Of course" Miara tapped a boot against the stone bridged, it didn't make a sound. "Muffle and swiftness on the boots. Stamina and health regeneration on the chest torso" She flexed a hand, coiling the arm back and forth. "Enchantments for archery and swordsmanship" Contrary to popular belief, the names didn't make you an instant expert with the weapons, it just allowed for the muscles to be stronger, increase your grip strength along with the rest of your arms, plus added flexibility to fingers and joints. "And the hood and mask to blend in better with the shadows and the background, make people pay less attention to me... The cloak is because it makes me feel cool"

Serana only rolled her eyes; "Because the dunmeri fashion culture is the top of everyone fashionista's lists."

The lovers only stared at one another before both soon giggled as they drew close to one another and watched the skies. "We really got into a mess with this one haven't we?" Nordic vampire remarked.

"All I know is I'm punching Arameris whenever we get back."

Hearing that brings a question to Serana's mind; "How long do you think we will be here?"

"As long as it takes to save Ferelden from the Darkspawn. And from themselves..." The steel resolute tone had gotten her lover's attention.

The Volkihar stared at the Dragonborn for a moment before letting out a long sigh. "You know we didn't have to get involved in all this right?"

"I know"

"It's not your responsibility"

"I'm aware"

"You gave them a lot of tools, instructions, and now a fortress to take advantage of with Sarya setting out the array. Nobody would fault you if you decide to go back home"

"But I won't"

Miara knew Serana wasn't advocating for leaving their companions now in the middle of their journey. Once again her beloved wanted to let the dunmer know she had a choice that she didn't have to force herself to fight, get involved in yet another cause.

But Miara knew herself well enough to know she couldn't walk away, not now. She looked upon this foreign land on the verge of destruction, the dangerous challenges that awaited these brave young men and women that lead them, and felt kinship with them. She had been in a very similar situation before, like them, thrust upon it by forces unseen. So she at least wanted to help the weight of responsibility lighter if she could, Miara certainly knew she would have loved for someone to have guided her through a correct path.

A 'foretold Hero', she was called. Nonsense, Miara snorted with disgust. Her actions had been far from heroic.

She had cleared bandit camps, rescued civilians, and killed all manner of monsters that threatened innocent folk. But that was not enough, no; it would never be enough to clean the blood from her hands.

While she will always cherish the people she had met and grew to love as family in the Dark Brotherhood. That chapter in her life was a turn that will be forever etched in her soul. The innocent lives she slew, families she destroyed amongst the killing wicked; and her actions had caused while the civil war to grow worse, to weaken and already wounded empire and made things easier for the Thalmor.

Upon 'his' death, everything grew worse... And she had bear the weight of that responsibility; even to this day.

"Unlike me back then, I won't let those youngsters do this alone. All that I have is theirs to use. Neither the Darkspawn nor Loghain will tear Ferelden or Thedas apart while I stand among them."

Serana let out a small breath with her hands going to her hips; "Not alone you're not. Doubt we could convince our children to leave either. Sarya and Sofie are growing really fond of them. And Oryrn already considers that Sereda and Faren friends. Just a guess to wonder how much more of our crazy do you think they could handle from us?"

At that Miara snorted; "Hopefully we don't have to show any more than what we already have. Doubtful they could even wrap their heads around on what I really am."

"You know you just jinxed yourself right." her elven lover rolled her eyes; "Well, even I'm starting to like them. A little."

"They're good kids" The dunmer smiled fondly as she turned her gaze to the snowy forest. "I'm sure they... will..."

Her words suddenly trailed off until they stopped entirely, her eyes growing wider by the second. Serana looked at her in confusion, wondering what could possibly instill such a stupor into the Dragonborn, who had seen and done so much in her life.

Her answer came with the glare of light in the sky. And it wasn't the sun.

It was a large flaming fireball quickly descending upon the earth, leaving a trail of flames and smoke on its wake. It disappeared nearly a mile from their position behind the tree line, yet still the thundering impact was heard all the way from there.

"Was... Was that a meteorite?" Serana muttered in disbelief.

The hairs on the back of Miara's neck stood as soon dashed for the door to the fortress. Her lover quickly followed.

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

Neither Dragonborn nor Vampire had time for words for anyone as they ran through the fortress and out of it. Even Odahviing had seen what had fallen and quickly took flight as his Briinah dashed out of the peak. The lovers tried to remember where exactly they saw the meteorite had landed. Thankfully smoke could soon be seen as they charged ahead at full speed.

The two slid to a stop at the top of a massive crater in a clearing. "By all of the Divines and my mother..." Miara breathlessly gasped.

Serana was also just as shocked but took note of two figures running away from the area. Likely scared off by the impact. The flapping of wings echoed as the ruby dragon joined their side; "Is that..." Odahviing muttered with his sapphire eyes wide.

Without a word the Dunmer slid down into the crater to look closely at the object that lay in its center. A shudder escaped her lips as her breathing grew ragged. Roughly the size of a large rock laid a chunk of stone, pieces had fallen clean off, revealing patches of a deep blue substance. "S-S-Star metal," Miara voice was deep and husky as her chest heaved back and forth. Kneeling down as she drew closer to the metal as it steamed from the cold air hitting it, the elf's mouth hung open ever slightly.

The absolute rarest material in creation, a piece of the cosmos casted down from the heavens. Metal that had not just been infused with the power of the stars, but rather it have been BORN from the stars.

It was extremely rare for shards of the cosmos above to fall to Nirn in the first place, except rare exceptions like the times of the Planemeld which had weakened the dimensional barriers, and many pieces of solid starlight had fallen to the world. She remembered her sister Rathuni telling her how those fragments of pure aetheriam energy could empower someone, but those only existed as arcane energy.

This was the real deal, pieces of a star in a solid state...

She looked everywhere over the rock, seeing the pieces of the shining material sticking out on various places of its surface. Her excitement rose along with the beat of her heart, if she was measuring things correctly then the amount of metal in that thing would be enough to craft weapons and armor...

Miara had worked the rarest of minerals, tampered arcane materials with both a hammer and spells, but never in her entire life had she ever seen this celestial metal in such quantities. It was every smith's dream to be able to forge something, ANYTHING, with star metal...

As if grabbing the most precious relic on Nirn itself the dunmer picked up a piece of the ore and lifted it up with both hands. _**"This is what was always meant to be yours"**_ A warm maternal ethereal feminine voice whispered in her mind. _**"Let your heart and soul guide your hands to their shape."**_

Miara's lips slowly formed a smile; "Thank you... Mother."

 **XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX**

 _ **Hope you enjoy!**_

 _ **Arch: For reference of what Miara is wearing, it is the Elven Hero armor from ESO. With the added portion of the masked hooded cloak of the Breton Hero.**_


End file.
